[Editor’s Note: For the last eight years under Taiwan’s President Chen Shui-bian, the self-governing island’s relations with the mainland government in Beijing have oscillated between stagnation and outright animosity. Until recently, Beijing had advocated the “One-country, two systems” approach to unification with Taiwan first promulgated by Deng Xiaoping. After the election of President Ma Ying-jeou, however, the two sides appear to have seized on a modus vivendi for cross-Strait dialogue based on the so-called 1992 Consensus of “One-China, different interpretations” and the development of party-to-party ties. This CRM special issue is intended to document historic events in the cross-Strait relationship.]
May 23:
Taiwan and China are planning to open representative offices in each other's capitals, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council Chairwoman Lai Shin-yuan said in comments carried by the Kyoto News Agency. "With a more frequent exchange of flights and other direct links, a lot of technical details will be involved and assistance will be needed," Lai said. Taiwan's office in Beijing would be run by the Straits Exchange Foundation, the semi-government body under the council that conducts direct negotiations with Beijing. China's office in Taipei, she said, would be run by the foundation's Chinese counterpart, the Association for Relations Across the Straits, which falls under Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office. "I anticipate those goals will be reached by July," she said, referring to the direct flights, tourism and cargo links, as well as a plan to allow for convertibility between the Chinese yuan and the Taiwanese dollar in Taiwan. "The July timetable," Lai said, "is not based on wishful thinking. There's a very clear message from Beijing that it is willing, too."
May 27:
The European Union presidency, currently under Slovenian leadership, said in a statement “that the establishment of a new administration in Taiwan provides a unique opportunity for the two sides to make further progress in their practical relations." The statement added that the EU reiterates its one-China policy and its firm support for a peaceful resolution of the Taiwan question, the official People’s Daily reports.
May 28:
Amid improved ties between the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Secretary-General Wang Tuoh warned that KMT-CCP party-party ties could hurt Taiwan's national sovereignty if they prevail over official government-to -government channels. “The DPP will do its utmost to scrutinize KMT-CCP exchanges and safeguard Taiwan's interests in cross-strait exchanges," he said in comments carried by Taiwan’s official Central News Agency. Wang also added that DPP members are willing to contact the Chinese side as long as there are no strings attached.
There was no apparent hostility between China and Taiwan at this year's World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) meeting in Paris, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in comments carried by the Taipei Times. The 172-member OIE is the most authoritative assembly of intergovernmental organizations promoting animal health. Taiwan was downgraded from a full membership status to a regional non-sovereign member last year at Beijing's insistence and now uses the designation "Chinese Taipei." In practice, however, the OIE website lists Taiwan as one of the 172 members and Taiwan participants received equal treatment as their Chinese counterparts at this year’s meeting.
May 29:
"We are encouraged by the dialogue between the new government in Taiwan and the current government in the People's Republic of China," said Timothy Keating, commander of the US Pacific Command during a Pentagon news briefing referring to meetings in Beijing between Taiwan's ruling Kuomintang Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung and his Chinese Communist Party counterpart, President Hu Jintao. During the meeting, Hu lauded the aid from Taiwan for the victims of the May 12 Sichuan earthquake. "We're encouraged by Taiwan leaders' presence in China to offer assistance and relief aid to the earthquake victims. All of these are positive signs, in our view," Keating added in comments carried by Taiwan’s Central News Agency.
Semi-official talks between Taiwan and China will begin next month for the first time in a decade from June 11-14 in Beijing. The two sides now appear poised to sign key agreements at the meeting, which could see direct weekend charter flights and more Chinese tourists visiting Taiwan by July. Regarding the former, direct cross-strait charter flights are likely to begin on weekends, then daily charter flights, culminating in an agreement on normal, scheduled flights between the two sides. In 2007, Taiwanese citizens made 4.6 million trips to China; but only 270,000 Chinese were allowed to visit Taiwan. Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou has said he would like to see up to 3,000 Chinese tourists a day - equivalent to more than 1 million mainland arrivals a year - as Taiwan builds up its tourist infrastructure. The BBC reports Taipei estimates that for every 25 new tourists, one new job could be created on the self-governing island.