The defining divide: cross-strait relations and US, Taiwan, China Strategic Dynamics

The recent improvements in cross-strait relations under the Ma administration have been interpreted as heralding a deeper rapprochement between Taiwan and China. Economic and political cross-strait initiatives have proliferated, while social linkages are re-emerging. Yet fundamental barriers remain that may lead to heightened future tensions. Taiwanese and Chinese citizens hold to increasingly distinct cultural and political identities. Strategically, support for the status quo is weakening between Washington, Taipei and Beijing, as the latter begins to threaten the regional primacy of the former.