Strait of uncertainty: Taipei-Beijing ties hinge on Jiang's moderating role

Article Abstract:

There are few leaders in power in China and Taiwan who have personal knowledge of the origins of the Communist-KMT rivalry following the death of Deng Xiaoping. Incumbent President Jiang Zemin and Taiwan's President Lee Teng-hui have to struggle with the problems they have inherited. For Taiwan this could mean that policies advocated by Den'gs generation of revolutionaries could be interpreted more flexibly, but it may be difficult to restrain demands for quick results on Taiwan. Deng placed the modernisation of China above early unification, but military options were forced on Jiang when Deng's power was waning. The two sides remain far apart and Jiang's success at reining in hardliners will have an impact on cross-strait relations.

Politics

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Red alert: Taipei seeks better arms to bolster defence

Article Abstract:

China's recent belligerence toward Taiwan has raised the military's profile on the island, leading lawmakers to seek more information and press for more modernization. Experts in the US, Taiwan's chief supplier, say a weak defense against ballistic missiles will be the only serious gap in a few years, one that a pending sale of Patriot anti-missile missiles will not fix because they will lack ties to a satellite-based early-warning system. US supplies may also be further hindered by pro-Chinese State Department pressure.

Cover Story, International relations, Military aspects, Taiwanese, Chinese (Taiwan)

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