Taiwan Enters New Era with China on Cross-strait Relations with New President

With the new president sworn in on May 20, 2008, Taiwan is set to improve its relations with China. President Ma Ying-jeou extended an olive branch to China Tuesday by calling for cross-strait reconciliation after years of chilly relations. In his inaugural address, President Ma called for the two sides of the Taiwan Strait to seize the opportunity to bring about a historical new era of the cross-strait peace and prosperity. Two sides will likely resume negotiations in the near future on the so-called "1992 consensus" -- namely, both sides agree on the wording of "one China" but allow each side to have its differing interpretations. President Ma emphasizes his "Three No's, "pledging not to seek reunification nor independence, and not to resort to force in the Taiwan Strait during his term, which he believed represented the mainstream public opinions in Taiwan. These remarks resonate with Chinese President Hu Jintao's recent word calling for "building mutual trust, shelving controversies, finding commonalities despite differences, and creating together a win-win solution" across the Taiwan Strait.