cross-strait relations

Could visit to Taiwan by mainland Chinese academics be first hint of a cross-strait thaw?

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Could visit to Taiwan by mainland Chinese academics be first hint of a cross-strait thaw?

A visit to Taiwan by two prominent mainland Chinese academics to meet counterparts there has prompted speculation about opening the way for unofficial exchanges between cross-strait government affiliates. However, some analysts remain sceptical, suggesting that Taipei’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) may be trying to create the misleading impression that formal talks with Beijing are … Read more

Mainland China gives green light to first post-Covid group tours to Taiwan

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Mainland China gives green light to first post-Covid group tours to Taiwan

The mainland Chinese authorities have lifted a pandemic-era ban on travel to Taiwan, allowing tour groups from Shanghai and Fujian province to visit the island. The Culture and Tourism Ministry said preparations were “actively under way” – although there is no timetable for visits to resume – and the move would help normalise cross-strait exchanges, … Read more

Taiwan tensions to grow in 2025, but risk of war low as Taipei divisions distract: report

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Taiwan tensions to grow in 2025, but risk of war low as Taipei divisions distract: report

Tensions in the Taiwan Strait will grow in 2025, but the risk of war remains low as the island’s leader, William Lai Ching-te, is expected to direct his energy towards mending internal political divisions, according to a forecast by a Hong Kong-based think tank. Lai’s attention was likely to be focused on the island’s internal … Read more

Former Taiwan leader emphasises shared historical roots of island and mainland Chinese

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Former Taiwan leader emphasises shared historical roots of island and mainland Chinese

Former Taiwanese leader Ma Ying-jeou has vowed to protect the island’s deep-rooted cultural and historical ties with mainland China while accusing the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) of having a “misguided political agenda” in attempting to sever these links. “In the past several decades, Taiwan has played a vital role in preserving and promoting Chinese … Read more

Former Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou visits Harbin aiming to ‘build bridge of peace’

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Former Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou visits Harbin aiming to ‘build bridge of peace’

Former Taiwanese leader Ma Ying-jeou has begun a nine-day trip to mainland China – his third in two years – amid accusations from pro-independence voices that he is compromising the self-ruled island’s interests. Ma’s delegation, which includes a group of Taiwanese university students, was greeted by municipal officials and well-wishers at the airport when they … Read more

Taipei-Shanghai forum goes ahead, with calls for ‘olive branches’ and exchanges

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Taipei-Shanghai forum goes ahead, with calls for ‘olive branches’ and exchanges

An annual forum that brings together officials and business representatives from Shanghai and Taipei went ahead on Tuesday after Taiwan denied entry to some mainland Chinese attendees. Speaking at the 15th Taipei-Shanghai Twin-City Forum at a Taipei hotel, Shanghai’s vice-mayor Hua Yuan pledged to encourage people from his city to go on group tours to … Read more

Former Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou plans third visit to mainland China in 2 years

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Former Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou plans third visit to mainland China in 2 years

Former Taiwanese leader Ma Ying-jeou will visit mainland China later this month, his third visit in the past two years, in another push to promote people-to-people exchanges amid elevated cross-strait tensions. Ma will lead a delegation of Taiwanese youth to visit the cities of Harbin in the northeast and Chengdu in the southwest on a … Read more

Taiwanese political heavyweight proposes new cross-strait framework

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Taiwanese political heavyweight proposes new cross-strait framework

Former Taiwanese legislative speaker Wang Jin-pyng, a political heavyweight from the main opposition Kuomintang party, has proposed a new cross-strait framework that he says aims to reduce tensions and promote peace. Wang’s concept of “separate governance without division” seeks to establish a situation where Taiwan and mainland China can coexist while maintaining separate governance, yet … Read more

In mainland China, Taiwanese books wait in limbo as censors bolster publishing barriers

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In mainland China, Taiwanese books wait in limbo as censors bolster publishing barriers

In August 2018, Taiwanese writer Lung Ying-tai’s collection of essays – mostly about her love for her mother – was published in mainland China. It became a bestseller. Lung, who served as Taiwan’s minister of culture from 2012 to 2014, sold nearly 300,000 copies of her book in mainland China – an astonishing figure for … Read more

Mainland China Olympic champs among students set to visit Taiwan on ex-leader Ma’s invite

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Mainland China Olympic champs among students set to visit Taiwan on ex-leader Ma’s invite

Students from seven leading mainland Chinese universities, including two Olympic champions, will visit Taiwan later this month at the invitation of the island’s former leader Ma Ying-jeou. According to Ma Ying-jeou Foundation director Hsiao Hsu-tsen, the 40-strong delegation of students and faculty members will arrive in Taiwan on November 27 for a nine-day visit. The … Read more