Taiwanese are happy to keep the status quo indefinitely. If
China’s leaders can accept that, they might find a solution that
keeps everyone happy. Last month, Taiwanese President Ma Ying-
Jeou raised the possibility of signing a peace agreement with
mainland China sometime within the next decade. Beijing
responded positively to the idea. “Ending the state of hostility
between the two sides and reaching a peace agreement accords
with the overall interests of the Chinese nation and is the
common wish of compatriots on both sides of the Strait,” Yang
Yi, spokesman for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, told reporters.
“This is a position we have upheld for many years and is the
natural outcome of the peaceful development of cross-Strait
relations.” However, as the opposition Democratic Progressive
Party in Taiwan was quick to point out, the key issue remains
that of sovereignty. Will Taiwan have to acknowledge that it is
part of the People’s Republic of China, or can a peace agreement
sidestep this question? Beijing