Flights, envoys calm Taiwan-China tension

Flights, envoys calm Taiwan-China tension

Alice Hung, Reuters/Taipei

The exchange of historic flights between China and Taiwan, a rare
Beijing offer to restart stalled talks and a private visit by
senior Chinese officials all point to a thaw in tensions in one
of Asia's most dangerous hot spots.

However, it may be too early to conclude that the recent spate
of friendly gestures between the long-standing foes will lead to
reconciliation because bitter differences over the issue of
Taiwan independence remain unsolved.

Since the Nationalists fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a
civil war in mainland China to the communists, Beijing has viewed
the self-ruled island as a breakaway province and threatened to
attack if Taiwan declares formal statehood.

"Both sides are sending out goodwill to fuel a good atmosphere
for interaction," said Chen Yuchun, a China expert at the Chinese
Culture University in Taipei.

"The visit does not mean the resumption of talks, but it would
have been unthinkable last year when tensions were high."

China said on Sunday its top negotiator with Taiwan, Wang
Daohan, would send two envoys to attend the Wednesday funeral of
his counterpart, Koo Chen-fu. They will be in Taiwan for just 24
hours in a private capacity, but the visit still marks the first
to the island by high-level Chinese officials since 1999.

The news came a day after commercial jets flew non-stop
between Taiwan and China for the first time in more than 55 years
in special for Lunar New Year charter flights that many hope will
pave the way for permanent direct air links.

A day before the charters, a senior official in Beijing
offered to resume talks with Taiwan at any time under the right
circumstances. Taipei and Beijing have not been on speaking terms
since 1999 due to a row over Taiwan sovereignty.

"Even a stubborn stone can nod," President Chen Shui-bian said
in the Solomon Islands on Sunday, using a Chinese saying to refer
to China's apparent new signs of openness.

"There is no reason both sides of the Taiwan Strait can't open
the door for reconciliation, cooperation and peace."

The Taiwan leader was in the South Pacific to cement relations
with two diplomatic allies, some of only 26 states that recognize
Taipei instead of Beijing.

Chen, who has angered Beijing with his vision of an
independent Taiwan, has appeared more moderate since his party
lost the December legislative elections to a Nationalist-led
opposition alliance that is more conciliatory towards China.

For its part, Beijing has also seemed more relaxed and tried
to woo the hearts and minds of Taiwan people.

"These recent moves, especially the direct flights for Lunar
New Year, show a relatively pragmatic attitude," said Niu Jun, a
Taiwan expert at Peking University.

"On the other side, from the political perspective, based on
the mainland's current policy, it will be hard for the flights to
have any big effect on the governing party in Taiwan," Niu said.

While tensions have eased, analysts expect Beijing to
persevere with its carrot-and-stick policy towards Taiwan.

That is, China will to try to isolate Taiwan diplomatically
and crush any attempt by Taipei leaders to shift the island
towards formal independence, while offering incentives to boost
economic and trade ties with Taiwan's 23 million people.

China's plan to push ahead with an anti-secession law, viewed
by Taiwan as an attempt to form a legal basis to attack the
island, is an example of the hard-line tactic.

"China is still using its two-handed approach and that could
have repercussions and easily offset any progress we've made so
far," said Lo Chih-cheng, executive director for the Institute
for National Policy Research, a prominent thinktank in Taiwan.

"It's a good beginning, a first step. But whether there will
be two steps backward remains to be seen," he said.