



"One Country
on Each Side" Statement
Anti-Secession Law
Opposition Visit
to China
Chiang-Chen Talks
Economic
Cooperation Framework Agreement
[Polls] [News] [Papers]
~ 2001 ; 2002 ; 2003 ; 2004 ; 2005 ; 2006 ; 2007
; 2008
Polls
Poll on First Anniversary of
Resumption of Cross-Strait Dialogues
(SEF, May 27, 2009) A poll on cross-strait
relations conducted by the Strait Exchanges Foundation.
Survey on President Ma’s
Approval Rating on First Anniversary of Inauguration and Cross-Strait Issues (GVSRC, May 25, 2009) President Ma Ying-jeou’s
approval rating on the first anniversary of his inauguration: his approval
rating is 38.9 percent, and his disapproval rating is 48.6 percent.
One in Three Unimpressed by
Chinese Tourists: Survey
(CNA, May 11, 2009) A total of 33 percent of the
respondents to a recent poll said they are unimpressed with the influx of
Chinese tourists, according to the results of the government-commissioned
survey released.
Survey on Taiwanese People’s
Attitude toward Economic Agreements with China and Cross-strait Exchanges (GVSRC, Nov. 10, 2008) 47.4% think the four agreements signed by
SEF and ARATS in early November are beneficial to Taiwan.
Survey on Senior Chinese
Envoy Chen Yunlin’s Upcoming Visit to Taiwan and Approval Ratings for the Ma
Administration (Global Views,
November, 2008) 50.3% of Taiwanese people support the government’s decision
to invite Chen Yunlin. Meanwhile, 23.6% of
Taiwanese are satisfied with President Ma’s performance.
Majority Support Visit by
China’s Top Negotiator
(CNA, Oct. 23, 2008) A majority of people
responding to a recent survey are in favor of the planned visit of a high
ranking Chinese official to Taiwan,
pollsters said.
Record Number of Taiwanese
Say Cross-Strait Ties Friendly: Survey
(AFP, Apr. 14, 2008) A record number of Taiwanese
considered cross-strait relations friendly after vice president-elect Vincent
Siew's recent landmark meeting with China President
Hu Jintao, a survey showed.
The survey said 39.4 percent considered cross-strait relations as friendly.
Record-high Taiwanese Optimistic about China Ties:
Poll
(AFP, Jan. 19, 2008) Nearly half of Taiwanese people are optimistic that the
island's ties with rival China could improve this year, following the
opposition's victory in last week's elections. Some 47 percent were hopeful
for better cross-strait ties -- a rise of 14 percent from a similar poll last
year and the highest since 2003, according to a survey conducted by TVBS
cable news channel.

MOUs on Three Financial
Sectors to be Inked: FSC
(China
Post, Jun. 26, 2009) Both sides of the Taiwan Straits are very likely to sign
a MOU on cooperation in the three sectors of banking, insurance and
securities simultaneously, probably in July or August, Chairman of the
Financial Supervisory Commission said.
Taiwan Not Ready to Discuss
Political Matters with PRC Counterparts: MAC (Taipei Times, Jun. 25, 2009) The
Mainland Affairs Council said the government was not ready to engage in
political negotiations with Beijing.
KMT Hails China’s Response
to Call for Truce on Expatriate Front
(CNA, Jun. 21, 2009) China's positive response to
Taiwan's call for a truce among expatriates from the two sides of the Taiwan
Strait will contribute to the peaceful development of cross-strait relations,
a ruling Kuomintang official said.
DPP Should Adjust China
Strategy: Tainan Mayor
(CNA, Jun. 17, 2009) The opposition Democratic
Progressive Party will not rashly engage China but should adjust its strategy
to deal with a rising China, Tainan Mayor Hsu Tain-tsair, a prominent DPP member, was reported as
saying.
Kaohsiung City Mayor Willing
to Visit China Again: Report
(CNA, Jun. 16, 2009) Following her recent ice
breaking visit to China in mid-May, Kaohsiung City
Mayor Chen Chu and a stalwart of the
pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party Chen Chu,
said she would like to visit China again if there is another chance to do so.
Ex-VP Lu Urges DPP to Have
Closed-Door Debates on China Policy (China Post, Jun. 13, 2009) Former Vice President Annette Lu said
that the Democratic Progressive Party should hold closed-door discussions to
seek internal consensus on its China policy, instead of
conducting open debates on the issue.
Pressure Builds for Ma-Hu Meet
(Taipei Times, Jun. 12, 2009) The Taipei mayor
said that the president should arrange to meet with the Chinese president as
soon as he becomes the chairman of the KMT.
DPP Blasts Ma’s China
Proposal As Trashing Taiwan’s Integrity
(China Post, Jun 11, 2009) The opposition camp
blasted President Ma Ying-jeou for what they
believed to be his proposal to adopt China's
simplified Chinese characters in Taiwan.
China Says to Buy More
Taiwan Goods to Help Economy
(Reuters, Jun. 10, 2009) China said it will send more delegations to Taiwan
to buy goods as a way of helping the self-governing island's export-dependent
economy.
DPP Legislator Proposes
Debate on China Policy
(Taipei Times,
Jun. 8, 2009) Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Gao
Jyh-peng said he would submit a proposal to the
party’s Central Standing Committee this week asking headquarters to hold a
debate on the party’s China
policy.
DPP’s Tsai Against Lifting
Chip Tech Ban on China
(China
Post, Jun. 7, 2009) The main opposition party warned the government against lifting
a ban on chipmakers setting up 12-inch wafer fabs
in China, saying no changes should be introduced until careful evaluation and
planning have been made.
Taiwan Considers Allowing
12-Inch Fabs in China
(Reuters, Jun. 6, 2009) Taiwan is considering allowing its companies
to set up advanced wafer fabs in China, government officials said.
Lu Urges DPP to Be
Open-Minded on Cross-Strait Issues
(Taipei
Times, Jun. 6, 2009) Former vice president Annette Lu said that the
Democratic Progressive Party should behave like a responsible opposition
party and have a more open attitude toward cross-strait exchanges.
Another Opposition DPP Mayor
to Visit China
(CNA, Jun. 4, 2009) Tainan
City Mayor Hsu Tain-tsair, a prominent member of
the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party, is scheduled to visit China
in late June.
DPP Rules to Ask Officials
to Report Visits to China
(Taipei Times,
Jun. 4, 2009) The regulations were supposed to be finalized yesterday, but
confirmation of the new rules was put off because of differing opinions
within the party hierarchy.
President Ma Hails Visits by
DPP Figures to China
(CNA, May 29, 2009) President Ma Ying-jeou said that he highly endorses visits to China by local government officials from Taiwan's
opposition Democratic Progressive Party.
DPP to Set Up Protocols for
China Visits
(Taipei Times, May 29, 2009) DPP plans to
establish a set of protocols and regulations for party members when visiting
China, party spokesman Cheng Wen-tsang said, but
declined to disclose when the document would be published.
China and Taiwan Sign
Cross-Strait Deals
(Wall Street Journal, May 29, 2009) The largest
ever mainland Chinese buying mission to Taiwan signed contracts valued at
$281 million, and as many as nine other similar purchasing visits are on the
way.
Mainland Welcomes Visits of
More Taiwan Opposition Politicians: Official (Xinhua, May 27, 2009) The Chinese
mainland welcomes more visits with politicians of the Democratic Progressive
Party, the opposition in Taiwan,
said an official here.
Chinese President Meets
Leader of Taiwanese Party By Michael Wines (New York Times, May 27, 2009) President Hu
Jintao of China hosted the leader
of Taiwan’s governing
party in Beijing,
as both sides promised closer economic ties and a continued thaw in relations
between the rivals.
KMT Chairman Wu Po-hsiung
Visiting Beijing
(China Post, May 26, 2009) Kuomintang chairman Wu
Poh-hsiung is making a low-profile visit to China.
Mayor Chen Brushes off
Praise for Ma Remark
(China
Post, May 24, 2009) Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu played down the implications of political remarks she
made during her ongoing visit in China.
Taiwan Wants to Sign Trade
Pact with China As Soon As Possible
(DPA, May 24, 2009) Taiwan
President Ma Ying-jeou urged China to sign a trade pact with Taiwan as soon as possible, despite objection from Taiwan’s
opposition party DPP.
Kaohsiung Mayor’s Ma
Reference Draws Praise from DPP, KMT
(China Post, May 23, 2009) Kaohsiung
Mayor Chen Chu’s mentioning of “President Ma Ying-jeou of our central government” while meeting with
Chinese officials particularly won praise from DPP members who had previously
opposed the trip.
Taiwan Invited to Take Part
in 2010 Shanghai World Expo
(China
Post, May 23, 2009) The Taiwan Pavilion will be in Area A, that is assigned
to Asian countries. Its neighbor pavilions will be erected by Nepal, India,
Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Japan.
Mayor of Kaohsiung Chen Chu
in Beijing
(China Post, May 22, 2009) Mayor of Kaohsiung Chen Chu became the
first top government leader of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party to
visit Beijing.
China Low-Key Ahead of
Taiwan Leader’s U.S. Trip
(Reuters, May 21, 2009) China reacted coolly on Thursday to plans by Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou
to stop off in the United States
next week en route to Central America.
Pres. Ma Pledges to Push for
Rapprochement with China
(China Post, May 20, 2009) President Ma Ying-jeou denied Taiwan's
sovereignty has ever been denigrated in the past year, as he again pledged
his all-out effort to push for rapprochement with China.
No Referendum Is Needed on
ECFA Proposal: Ma
(Taipei Times, May 20, 2009) President Ma Ying-jeou said the economic pact his administration plans to
sign with Beijing
does not require a referendum because it steers clear of politics and
concerns only economic issues.
Chinese Officials Urges
Mainland Businesses to Invest in Taiwan, Plan Purchasing Mission (AP, May 18, 2009) China has outlined plans for encouraging
mainland Chinese businesses to expand their investments in Taiwan, and has
scheduled several purchasing missions to buy food and consumer products.
Beijing Says It Is Prepared
to Conclude ECFA with Taipei
(China Post, May 18, 2009) Speaking at the
meeting of the Straits Forum on China-Taiwan Relations, Wang Yi said Beijing is now ready to negotiate and conclude an
economic cooperation framework agreement
with Taipei.
China Adds 5 More Mainland
Ports for Direct Taiwan Shipping
(Bloomberg, May 16, 2009) China approved five
additional ports for direct shipping with Taiwan, bringing the total to 68,
the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported, citing
China’s transportation ministry.
China Aims to Strengthen
Taiwan Ties: State Council
(China Post, May 15, 2009) According to the plan,
China will open the
economic development zone to Taiwan
banks and insurance and securities firms to expand services such as currency
exchange and clearance.
Taiwan Ready for Chinese Investment
(China Post, May 13, 2009) Minister of Economic
Affairs Yiin Chii-ming
announced the government will open to Chinese investments in Taiwan's
99 industries and business lines in the manufacturing and service sectors as
well as the infrastructure sector.
Ma Would Consider Peace
Talks in 2012
(Taipei Times, May
12, 2009) President Ma Ying-jeou said he would not
negotiate unification with China
during his presidency, but would consider launching talks on a peace
agreement if re-elected in 2012.
No Strong Reaction to Ma’s
‘Political Dialogue’ with Beijing
(China Post, May 11, 2009) President Ma Ying-jeou's surprise initiative to start political dialogue
with Beijing in 2012 provoked no strong reaction from pro-independence
Democratic Progressive Party leaders.
Government Hopes for
Representative Office across Strait
(Taipei Times, May 10, 2009) Taiwan would like to open a representative
office in China to handle
a variety of matters arising from increased exchanges between the two sides
of the Taiwan Strait and wants Beijing
to reciprocate, Mainland Affairs Council Deputy Chairman said.
Tsai Warns of Strategic Collapse
(Taipei Times, May
8, 2009) Democratic Progressive Party Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen
told a Washington audience that there
remains “a deep sense of anxiety and uncertainty within Taiwan” about the way President Ma Ying-jeou has engaged
in rapid rapprochement with China.
Taiwan and China Meet for
Closer Cooperation at the Boao Forum
(CNA, Apr. 19, 2009) The Taiwanese delegation
attending the 2009 Boao Forum for Asia
met with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao
on the sidelines of the event.
Details Finalized for
Cross-Strait Talks
(Taipei Times,
Apr. 19, 2009) The third round of cross-strait talks between the Straits
Exchange Foundation and China’s
Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait will be held from April 25
to April 29 in
Nanjing,
China, a
preparatory meeting for the talks determined.
ARATS Negotiators Greeted by
Protestors
(China Post, Apr. 18, 2009) A delegation of
Chinese negotiators were greeted by pro-independence protesters upon their
arrival in Taiwan for a round of talks about details of possible agreements
between Taiwan and China.
Peace Treaty with China is
Next Step: Ma Adviser
(Taipei
Times, Apr. 11, 2009) Signing a peace agreement with China will be the next
step toward advancing and consolidating cross-strait relations, although it
will take a long time to achieve such a pact, a former representative to the
US said in Taipei.
3rd Round of Cross-Strait
Talks to Be in Nanjing
(CNA, Apr. 10, 2009) The third round of talks
between top negotiators from both sides of the Taiwan Strait will be held in
the Chinese city of Nanjing “barring accidents,” the
spokesman for the Mainland Affairs Council said.
MAC Acknowledges
Difficulties in Inking Accords with China
(Taipei Times,
Apr. 3, 2009) With the third round of high-level cross-strait talks
approaching, the Mainland Affairs Council admitted there were difficulties in
signing four agreements with Beijing,
including regular aviation flights and financial cooperation.
Economic Zone with Coastal
China Recommended
(China Post, Apr. 1, 2009) Taiwan needs to form a “common economic zone”
with the southeast coast of China
to create tens of thousands of job opportunities, the Council for Industrial
and Commercial Development recommended.
Expansion of Air Service
Next on Cross-Strait Agenda
(Taipei Times,
Mar. 17, 2009) Straits Exchange Foundation Deputy Chairman Kao Koong-lian said that the third round of cross-strait
negotiations with China
would address issues related to the right of airlines to provide connecting
flights and for passenger flights to carry cargo.
Anti-secession Law
‘Unnecessary’: Ma
(China Post, Mar. 15, 2009) The Taiwan government
yesterday urged China
to remove its anti-secession law and missiles that are meant to intimidate
the island into staying away from the road to independence.
DPP Caucus Calls for Task
Force on China Policies
(Taipei Times, Mar. 9, 2009) The Democratic
Progressive Party caucus proposed an interparty
legislative task force to monitor the government’s cross-strait policies and
interaction with China.
Signing ECFA with No. 1
Export Market Vital to Taiwan Trade: Ma
(China
Post, Mar. 8, 2009) President Ma Ying-jeou stressed
that as mainland China is Taiwan's largest export market, signing an ECFA
with China can help to normalize cross-strait economic and trade ties.
DPP Objects to Former Vice
President Lu Visiting China
(China Post, Mar. 7, 2009) The pro-independence
camp voiced objection to former Vice President Annette Lu's plan to visit China,
but she said the opposition needs to play an active role monitoring
cross-strait relations.
Taiwanese Official Indicated
on Spying for China
(AP, Mar. 6, 2009) A senior employee of Taiwan's presidential office was indicted
Friday on charges of providing classified information to rival China.
China Says Ready to Talk to
Taiwan, End Hostility
(AP, Mar. 5, 2009) China's
Premier Wen Jiabao said
that Beijing is ready to hold talks with Taiwan
on political and military issues in the pursuit of ending hostility between
the longtime rivals.
Taiwan Should Bundle Trade
Pact Talks: Scholars
(CNA, Mar. 5, 2009) Scholars suggested that the
proposed economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China
should be promoted in tandem with economic talks with other countries.
Premier Denies ‘Political’
Bias in ECFA Plan
(Taipei Times, Mar. 4, 2009) Premier Liu Chao-shiuan promised not to sign an “economic cooperation
framework agreement” (ECFA) with China under a “political” framework amid
opposition lawmakers’ concerns that the nation would not have equal footing
with China.
China: Economic Zone
Proposed with Taiwan
(New York Times, Mar. 3, 2009) The Chinese
People’s Political Consultative Conference, an advisory body in Beijing, will receive a proposal to set up a
“cross-straits economic zone” with Taiwan.
Taiwan Renames Trade Pact
(Strait Times, Mar. 2, 2009) The four-letter
acronym of a proposed trade pact with China
has sparked such a storm in Taiwan
that the government had to change its name.
CECA Is Non-political: Ma
(China
Post, Feb. 28, 2009) President Ma Ying-jeou
reiterated that the unification-independence issue has nothing to do with the
economic pact that Taiwan
is seeking to sign with China
in order to boost the island's competitiveness.
Content of Pact Must Be OK’d
by the Legislature: MAC Head
(CNA, Feb. 28, 2009) If Taiwan signs a
Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement with China,
it would not take effect unless the Legislature approves it, Taiwan's
top China-policy planner reiterated.
Beijing Welcomes Visit by
Former VP Lu
(China Post, Feb. 26, 2009) Beijing
would welcome any visitors as long they embrace a peaceful approach to
cross-strait relations, a Chinese official said in response to
pro-independence ex-Taiwan Vice President Annette Lu's offer to visit China.
No Timetable for Signing
CECA with China: Premier
(CNA, Feb. 25, 2009) The government has not set a
timetable for the signing of a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement
with China, because this will depend partly on the progress of negotiations
between the two sides, Premier Liu Chao-shiuan
said.
WTO Basis for CECA Talks: Yiin
(China Post, Feb. 23, 2009) Taipei
officials tried to deny a comprehensive economic cooperation arrangement
between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait
isn't the first step toward Chinese unification.
CECA Won’t Be Signed at
Meet: SEF Head
(China Post, Feb. 19, 2009) Taiwan and China
will not sign a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement during their
planned third round of negotiations, Chiang Pin-kung, chairman of Taiwan's
Straits Exchange Foundation, reiterated.
China to Lend Taiwan
Forbidden City Relics As Ties Thaw
(Reuters, Feb. 16, 2009) China will lend
long-time rival Taiwan 29 relics from Beijing's Forbidden City, state media
said, 60 years after defeated Nationalists fled to the island taking similar
treasures with them.
DPP Urges Consensus Before
CECA Is Signed
(China
Post, Feb. 15, 2009) Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen of the
opposition Democratic Progressive Party called for the government not to sign
a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) with China without the
social consensus of the Taiwanese people.
Taiwan to Study Possible
CECA with China
(CNA, Feb. 14, 2009) The Ministry of Economic
Affairs promised yesterday to study the feasibility of signing a
Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) with China, in response
to a call by business and industrial groups for the government to hold talks
with Beijing on that and other trade matters.
Presidential Office Denies
China Spy Recruitment Report
(AP, Feb. 14, 2009) The Presidential Office
yesterday denied a newspaper report that said the National Security Council
had ordered the organization in charge of the nation’s espionage efforts to
cease the recruitment of agents to work for the nation inside China.
Taiwan Mustn’t Let Down
Guard: Scholars
(CNA, Feb. 12, 2009) Two noted American scholars
expressed confidence in President Ma Ying-jeou's
handling of cross-Taiwan Strait affairs, but advised that the Ma
administration should never let down its guard against China's intention to reunite with Taiwan.
Gov’t Looking to Talk to
China on CECA
(China Post, Feb. 11, 2009) The government will
seek to start discussing negotiations with China about reaching the
Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement starting this year in a bid to
help Taiwanese enterprises maintain and beef up export sales.
‘Economic First’ in
Cross-Strait Policy: SEF
(CNA, Feb. 10, 2009) Taiwan
has not changed its “economy first, politics later” stance in its
cross-Taiwan Strait policy, Taiwan's
Straits Exchange Foundation Chairman Chiang Pin-kung said in an interview
carried in Singapore
newspaper, Lianhe Zaobao.
Taiwan to Launch Regular
Flights with China
(DPA, Feb. 7, 2009) Taiwan
plans to launch regular flights with China in the first half of 2009,
an official said.
Pres. Office Denies That
First Lady Will Visit China
(China
Post, Feb. 5, 2009) The Presidential Office denied that first lady Christine
Chow had any plan to visit China.
Closer China Ties Fortify
Sovereignty: Ma
(CNA, Feb. 4, 2009) President Ma Ying-jeou said that the normalization of bilateral relations
between Taiwan and China has contributed to the consolidation of Taiwan's
sovereignty and enabled the country to make significant gains in foreign
relations and national defense.
MAC Rejects Criticism of
Ma’s Cross-Strait Policies
(Taipei Times, Feb. 3, 2009) The Mainland Affairs
Council dismissed criticism of President Ma Ying-jeou’s
cross-strait policies, saying the administration was firmly upholding
national sovereignty and the public’s right to decide the nation’s future.
Hu’s Plan Will Guide Ties
with Taiwan: MAC
(CNA, Feb. 2, 2009) The six-point overture on the
peaceful development of cross-strait ties that Chinese President Hu Jintao spelled out recently
can be seen as a framework for China's policy toward Taiwan in the year to
come, an official said.
Taiwan to Speed Up Talks
with China on Trade Deal
(Reuters, Feb. 2, 2009) Taiwan plans to speed up talks with diplomatic
rival China
this year on a wide-reaching trade deal amid a worsening global economic
crisis, the Commercial Times said.
Taiwan to Keep Up China
Talks Despite Spy Case
(AP, Jan. 15, 2009) Taiwan
plans to continue to its high-level talks with rival China, despite media reports that a
presidential office staffer was arrested on suspicion of spying for Beijing.
Presidential Office Employee
Arrested Over Possible Leak
(AP, Jan. 15, 2009) A spokesman for Presidential
Office says an employee has been arrested on suspicion of leaking official
documents.
A Tale of Two Museums
Unfolds As Taiwan-China Rivalry Thaws
(AFP, Jan. 11, 2009) The major museums of
long-term rivals Taiwan and China are planning unprecedented exchange visits
and could hold a joint exhibition as the once-bitter distance between them
narrows.
China, Taiwan to Talk Business
(Reuters, Jan. 6, 2009) Top negotiators from
rivals Taiwan and China will meet again this week to discuss
issues facing island investors who see China as an important but
increasingly difficult place to do business amid the global economic crisis.

A Constructive Take on the
Strait By Yu Tsung-chi
(Taipei Times, Jun. 16, 2009) how we can better explain
and formulate a security policy toward China using a constructivist
approach? The answer lies in the social interactions and cultural norms that
shape common identities.
Groupthink Undermines
Taiwan’s PRC Policy By Lin Cheng-yi
(Taipei Times, May 26, 2009) Political
reconciliation does not necessarily entail taking a joint attitude toward the
outside world, but it would at least reduce the blind spots created by
groupthink.
Taiwan-China Business Ties
Grow
(AP, May 23, 2009) 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.
A Healthy Turn for
Taiwan-Mainland Ties By Jian Junbo
(Asia Times, May 19, 2009) Taiwan's participation at this week's World
Health Assembly in Geneva has been welcomed on
the island as a breakthrough in its drive for greater international
recognition, but it is more an indicator of its rapidly warming ties with Beijing.
Is It Time for the SEF to
Bow Out? By Hong Chi-chang
(Taipei
Times, May 18, 2009) As time goes by, thorny and sensitive issues are likely to
come to the fore. It is therefore important that the government and the
public work together with regard to cross-strait talks.
Exuberance in Taiwan as Ties
with China Warm By Jonathan Adams
(New York Times, May 14, 2009) Optimists see
decades of bitter rivalry across the Taiwan Strait fading. But others here
are cautioning that the opening to mainland money could take longer than
expected.
The Risks and Benefits of
Detente By Yu Tsung-chi
(Taipei Times, May
14, 2009) Does economic interdependence increase or decrease the probability
of peace across the Taiwan Strait? With bilateral
trade between China and Taiwan
hitting a record high, this question holds great significance.
Taiwan Says It Needs China
Trade By Daniel Ong Kian Hong
(Wall Street Journal, May 8, 2009) Taiwan's top
economic planner said the recession-struck island urgently needs to craft
closer trade ties with China to ensure it's not left out of a free-trade
movement developing across the region.
The Folly of Ignoring
Cross-Strait Imbalance By Lin Cheng-yi
(Taipei Times, May 5, 2009) Well-known
neo-conservatives and Taiwan experts Robert Sutter and Shelley Rigger have
expressed some unease, a reflection of the difficulties Taiwan will
experience in striking a balance between the US and China.
Investing in Cross-Strait
Relations By Daniel H. Rosen
(Wall Street Journal Asia, May 4, 2009) Critics
within Taiwan will
inevitably argue that normalizing economic relations with China brings Taiwan additional national
security risk. In the U.S.
experience and world-wide, inward investment has proven not to undermine
national security but rather enhance it.
Cross-Strait Relations:
First the Easy, Now the Hard By Alan D. Romberg (China Leadership Monitor, April 2009) While officials on both
sides continue to speak of the need to move "step-by-step," in
fact, some people in Taiwan as well as on the Mainland have shown a desire to
accelerate the pace, trying to get as much as possible done while Ma and Hu are both in power.
Taiwan Says It Is Not Ready
for Peace Talks with China By Jane Rickards and Ariana Eunjung Cha (Washington Post, Mar. 6, 2009) Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou ruled out any near-term prospect of peace talks with
China,
saying relations are too tenuous to consider discussing political or military
issues.
A Muted Call from China to
Taiwan By Keith Bradsher
(International Herald Tribune, Mar. 5, 2009) Prime
Minister Wen Jiabao
offered few specifics on resolving the two sides' most intractable
differences and conspicuously omitted a previous suggestion by Hu Jintao for improving
communication on military issues.
The Bottom Line That Taiwan
Faces By Dennis V. Hickey
(Taipei Times,
Mar. 1, 2009) Irrespective of evidence and arguments to the contrary, it is
important to understand that Chinese at both elite and popular levels
perceive Taiwan to be an
integral part of China.
CECA Comes with Big Hidden
Costs By Tsai Ing-Wen
(Taipei
Times, Mar. 1, 2009) The signing of CECA would not only affect issues such as
Taiwanese sovereignty and economic autonomy, but also affect the lives of
ordinary Taiwanese. It is simplistic to argue that the DPP opposes the CECA
merely on ideological grounds.
Content of Pact
Must Be OK’d by the Legislature: MAC Head
(CNA,
Feb. 28, 2009) If Taiwan signs a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement
with China, it would not take effect unless the Legislature
approves it, Taiwan's top China-policy planner reiterated.
Taiwan, China Negotiating a
Landmark Free-Trade Agreement By Ariana Eunjung Cha (Washington Post, Feb. 21, 2009)
Taiwan and China are
negotiating a wide-ranging free-trade agreement that represents an important
step toward the possibility of unification of the longtime adversaries.
Exclusive Ma Ying-jeou
Interview: Nothing to Fear from CECA with Beijing: Ma (Taipei Times, Feb. 20, 2009) The government’s cross-strait policies
have prompted concerns over the potential impact on Taiwan’s sovereignty. In an
interview, President Ma responded to his critics.
China-Taiwan Relations
Become Bearable By Calum MacLeod
(USA Today, Jan. 25, 2009) A pair of pandas at
the Taipei Zoo go on public display for the first time today to celebrate the
Chinese New Year. And they're the cuddliest sign of warmer diplomatic ties
between China and Taiwan.
Cross-Strait Relations: “Ascend the Heights and
Take a Long-term Perspective” By Alan D. Romberg (China Leadership Monitor, Winter, 2009) Although Taiwan faced
economic challenges during this period akin to those faced by everyone else,
and although these contributed to deepening political divisions and turmoil
over cross-Strait relations, in fact, those relations were moving ahead well.
Empty Seats Show Glitches in
China-Taiwan Flights By Ralph Jennings (Reuters, Jan. 15, 2009) Planes are flying with many empty seats
a month after daily direct flights began between political rivals Taiwan and China, and travel officials are urging
that some of the restrictions in the landmark deal be loosened.
China Signals Thaw on Taiwan By
Eli Lake
(Washington Times, Jan. 7, 2009) China
specialists say the incoming administration will inherit the best prospects
in years for a thaw in relations between China
and Taiwan, easing a perennial irritant in U.S.-China relations.
Taiwan Calls for New Ties
(Strait Times, Jan. 2, 2009) Taiwan responded positively
to Chinese President Hu Jintao's
call for a truce with the island, saying it reflects China's 'new thinking'
and 'pragmatic approach' on cross-strait ties.
|