The Taiwan Straits Situation since Ma came to Office and Conditions for Cross-Straits Political Negotiations: a view from Shanghai

The cross-Straits relationship has improved greatly since Ma Ying-jeo took over power in Taiwan in May 2008. However, people should not be over-optimistic, because all the positive changes enacted so far are not irreversible. It is important for both sides to seize this opportunity to advance the cross-Straits relationship step-by-step, and when conditions are right, to hold political negotiations and sign a peace agreement to end the status of hostility between them officially, so as to establish a framework for peace and development across the Straits, making the positive changes irreversible. The precondition for the signing of a peace agreement is a consensus on the one-China principle. Beijing has redefined the principle as ‘both the Mainland and Taiwan belong to China’. It is close to Taipei's original definition of one-China, which has been defined in the ROC's ‘constitution’ and other official documents. Both sides should make joint efforts to create conditions for political negotiations.