Beijing and Taiwan Try Their Hand at Détente

After the Communist Party took control of China in 1949, opponents fled to the island of Taiwan, dreamed of someday resuming control of China, set up a government that transformed from dictatorship to democracy, and established a solid and wealthy economy. Years of strict separation, suspicion and military tension followed, and the Communist government in China has since maintained that that Taiwan is a “renegade province.” Over the years, business opportunities and more recently planning for the Beijing Olympics encouraged both Taiwan and China to embrace the notion that “soft power” – education, tourism and media information – carries more influence than “hard” military power, explains Sandra Schulz for Spiegel Online. “China and Taiwan are both counting on their people, on winning their hearts and minds,” she writes. Part of the reconciliation stems from strong cultural and business ties as well as Taiwan relaxing its stance on labels: The president permits Chinese negotiators to address him as “Mr.” rather than by title; the Taiwanese Olympics team will compete as team “Chinese Taipei” and the nation participates in the World Trade Organization as a “special customs territory.” Soft power is a two-way street: While China’s leaders fret about losing power, critics in Taiwan are wary about losing democratic freedoms. – YaleGlobal