Ties between the two sides of the Taiwan strait are growing warmer and warmer. This should be no surprise, as its exactly what ROC president Ma Yingjiu promised in his campaign leading to a landslide victory earlier this year. With the arrival of mainland tourists in Taiwan representing another new milestone, we are clearly living through an inflection point in cross-strait … [Read more...] about The challenge in Taiwan
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"Direct" flights commence between Taiwan and mainland
Today, without too much fuss, regular direct flights between mainland China and Taiwan began, fulfilling a campaign pledge of Ma Yingjiu. The flights run Friday-to-Monday between Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Xiamen, Guangzhou and Taipei. As you can see from the maps (from Sina & Chinanews) below, all flights still route near Hong Kong airspace so they are "direct" only in … [Read more...] about "Direct" flights commence between Taiwan and mainland
Taiwan and Diaoyutai
Two different Diaoyutai's are front-page news today. First, Diaoyutai islands: a Taiwanese fishing ship collided with a Japanese patrol ship off of the disputed Diaoyutai islands. One man was slightly injured as the boat sank; the passengers have been repatriated, but the crew remains held under Japanese custody. The sovereignty of Diaoyutai is disputed by all sides on the … [Read more...] about Taiwan and Diaoyutai
"The sky has cleared after the rain": KMT Chairman Wu Boxiong in Beijing
Wu Boxiong, chairman of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), has landed in Beijing. The Chinese Nationalist Party currently controls both the presidency and the legislative yuan in Taiwan, giving his visit special weight. He earlier visited the southern-capital of Nanjing, the original capital of the Republic of China (now in Taiwan). As is tradition for all KMT visitors, he … [Read more...] about "The sky has cleared after the rain": KMT Chairman Wu Boxiong in Beijing
Taiwan's Ma Yingjiu – A New Era
This year has so far been confusing and surprising for many Chinese. We've been faced with a number of challenges none of us expected: January snowstorms, Tibet riots, Olympic torch protests, and then the devastating Sichuan earthquake. But surprisingly, one potential flashpoint that many of us have been worried about for a decade seems to be settling down into an orbit that … [Read more...] about Taiwan's Ma Yingjiu – A New Era