59
friendlier approach to the mainland has obvious benefi ts. Hostilities in the re- gion have been reduced with investors on both sides regarding the fresh ap- proach as a “win-win” situation. Trade between the two already to-
tals US$110 billion (MOP880 billion) a year and the trade agreement is seen as one more step in promoting the “peace and prosperity” agenda. Beijing and Taipei relations appear
set on a healthier track economically, with Mr Ma putting business fi rst. After the pact was signed, the China
Banking Regulatory Commission ap- proved the opening of mainland branch- es for four Taiwanese banks. The com- mission also granted the Bank of China, Bank of Communications and China’s Merchant Bank permission to open of- fi ces in Taiwan.
Tourism also growing The fanfare around improved relations is also impacting on tourism at a time when Taipei is seeking to diversify its economy. More than two-thirds of the island’s GDP comes from exports, a high fi gure that the government is not entirely happy with. In 2008, the fi rst regular direct
fl ights from the mainland landed in Tai- wan. A year later the number of weekly fl ights to Taiwan had increased from 108 to 270. Now, 27 Chinese cities have di- rect fl ights to three cities in Taiwan and the mainland is promoting Taiwan as a holiday destination. Mutual curiosity is a big tourist
draw card. For older people in Taiwan, there is a touch of nostalgia, some hop- ing to indulge their memories and fi nd what has survived from the pre-1949 era, before Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalists lost to Mao Zedong’s Communist forces and fl ed to Taiwan.
Offi cial visits increase High-level visits from the mainland are becoming more common. Last month, the acting governor of Shaanxi prov- ince, Zhao Zhengyong, took a delega- tion of 500 members to Taiwan. Of the 24 mainland companies attending the week-long Taiwan-Shaanxi 2010 trade event, seven signed agreements with Tai- wanese companies. Also last month, Culture Minister
Cai Wu became the highest mainland offi cial
to land in Taipei for 12 years
when he fl oated the idea of cultural ex- changes. Taiwan’s Council of Cultural
OCTOBER 2010
Trade between China and Taiwan already totals US$110 billion
Affairs minister Emile Sheng has since mentioned the possibility of the main- land’s Culture Ministry opening a rep- resentative offi ce in Taiwan. After trade, promoting cultural con-
tacts is seen as another step towards im- proving mutual trust. Better mainland ties with Taiwan
have benefi ts for Macau too. The visit by Secretary for Social Affairs and Cul- ture Cheong U to Taipei last month was ground-breaking. It was the fi rst high- level offi cial to visit Taiwan since the handover in 1999. For the near
future at least, Tai-
wanese relations with the mainland are expected to continue focussing on com- merce and the economy. But in Beijing, the word reunifi cation is becoming more common which is not surprising given that both sides have achieved more to- gether in the past two years than in the previous six decades.
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