Building mutual trust

The China-Taiwan dialogue, which was suspended for three years, has finally been restarted. The reopening of a channel of communication between the two countries will help to restore trust and reduce tensions in the Strait of Taiwan. That is a welcome development.

As China and Taiwan are still not ready to engage in government-to-government talks, the semi-official meetings take on a special meaning. Taiwan's decision to open up to China's overtures and resume dialogue was not a spontaneous one. Rather, it was prompted by pressure from the United States, which would like to prevent the outbreak of a sudden conflict in the region. China has asserted that it will use military force if Taiwan asserts its independence.

Although (officials from the two countries) have helped to restart the dialogue, few Taiwanese citizens support early reunification and continue to distrust China. But there is no need to rush toward a settlement of this issue. The first priority is to build mutual trust.

-- The Mainichi Shimbun, Tokyo