TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China and Taiwan are seeking new business ventures in each other’s territories like never before as investment and travel barriers fall between the once bitter enemies amid warmer political ties.

Much of the credit goes to Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou, who has rejected his predecessor’s anti-China polices and found a willing partner in the Chinese leadership. Ma has moved to dismantle many of the obstacles that for years let investment and trade flow from Taiwan to the mainland but kept China’s money out of island. That’s setting the stage for a degree of economic integration that seemed unimaginable when Ma took office only a year ago.

Sharing a common language and similar cultures, Taiwanese and Chinese companies are now discussing alliances across a wide array of sectors, including real estate, financial services and even winemaking.

That doesn’t mean Beijing and Taipei are anywhere close to unity under the mainland’s communist leadership — the ultimate aim of China’s Taiwan policy since the two sides split amid civil war in 1949.