cross-strait relations

Hi Folks,

One of the things we'll be considering as part of this trip is the evolving relationship between China and Taiwan (and what the example of Hong Kong since 1997 might hold for people in Taiwan). Nearly everyone in China and Taiwan has strong views on the status of Taiwan, the need and potential for unification of China and Taiwan, and about cross-strait ties. Americans have difficulty understanding this, most of us don't realize the issue is so important to people on both sides of the strait.

You can start to get a sense of mainland perspectives now via the web and will also fly to Taipei from Shanghai with some of the 1 million tourists from the mainland who will visit in 2010.

We'll visit party offices in Taiwan to hear what the political parties think is important and we'll likely also get the official line from Taiwan government officials.

The two quasi-official organizations which conduct the formal China - Taiwan talks are:

Taiwan’s Straits Exchange Foundation
China's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait

So far, there's been four rounds of talks. The fifth round is scheduled for June 15-20 in Shanghai. Among the principal items being pursued in these talks is a free trade agreement, known as the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement.

Here are two websites with official position statements:

China - Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council
http://www.gwytb.gov.cn:8088/

Taiwan Mainland Affairs Council
http://www.mac.gov.tw/mp.asp?mp=3

Let's share resources, questions, and comments in this section. Can your students find the strait? Do they know what kinds of governments the two sides have? Can they identify the political leaders of Taiwan and China? Do they know that 1 million people from Taiwan are working in China? That China replaced the US as Taiwan's top trade partner? Can your students identify any brands from China and Taiwan? (For example, computers: Lenovo and Acer.)

BTW - here's a link to a symposium we had on Taiwan in 2008, following the presidential election then (it includes several presentations):
http://china.usc.edu/ShowArticle.aspx?articleID=986

Here's a link to the video of Huang Kuei-bo's 2010 talk at USC. He'll likely host us during our visit to the foreign ministry:
http://china.usc.edu/ShowArticle.aspx?articleID=2021

Here are two US-China Today articles about Taiwan:
Taiwanese Pop is a hit in China: http://www.uschina.usc.edu/article@usct?taiwanese_pop_music_makes_the_world_go_round_11115.aspx

Cram schools in Taiwan:
http://www.uschina.usc.edu/article@usct?cramming_knowledge_in_taiwan_11164.aspx