China and Taiwan in First Government Talks

China and Taiwan have held high-level talks, the first since 1949, reports BBC News. “Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory, insisting that it must be reunited with the mainland - by force, if necessary,” explains Martin Patience for BBC News. “For Taiwan, there is no ignoring China – the world's second largest economy.” Relations have improved since 2008 and the election of Taiwan’s current president. No flags, titles or affiliations were used during the meeting, reports AFP news agency. Taiwan, which calls itself Republic of China, is a democracy, and the People’s Republic of China is ruled by the Communist Party. Yet China has offered Taiwan a “one country, two systems” solution, similar to its relationship with Hong Kong. Hong Kong has a population of 7 million and Taiwan’s is 23 million compared with China’s billion-plus. The article concludes, “Taiwanese daily China Times says the current talks can address ‘practical issues’ first and that can pave the way for a meeting between Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping during the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum in November.” – YaleGlobal