Newswise — Allen Carlson, associate professor at Cornell University’s government department, weighs in on the upcoming Taiwan-China meeting. He says that though many questions remain on how the relationship will unfold, the meeting opens a new chapter in cross-strait relations.
Bio: http://government.arts.cornell.edu/faculty/carlson
Carlson says:
“In a world that is full of hyperbole, it is difficult to understate the historical significance of the recent announcement that Chinese leader Xi Jinping will meet in Singapore on Nov. 7 with his counterpart from Taiwan, President Ma Ying-jeou.
“Such a development is tantamount to Nixon going to China in 1972, or Obama opening U.S. relations with Cuba in 2014. It constitutes nothing short of a new chapter in relations across the Taiwan Strait.
“This being the case, there are many outstanding questions regarding how such a story is going to unfold, and what it will mean for all of those involved. Is Xi making such a move to placate a domestic audience whose nationalist sensibilities were aggravated by America’s recent freedom of navigation exercises in the South China Sea? Is he attempting to signal to Washington, China’s resolve to resist such measures? Or – on the contrary - is this an attempt to show a more pacific face following a period of apparent assertiveness within the region.
“There is a great deal at stake within this upcoming meeting for Beijing, Taipei, and Washington, as such a get together will have a profound impact not only on cross-Strait relations and Taiwanese politics, but also the U.S.-China relationship.”
Cornell University has television, ISDN and dedicated Skype/Google+ Hangout studios available for media interviews.
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