Can Taiwan Talk ‘Political’ with the Mainland?

An investigation into the prospects for including political talks in the cross-strait dialogue enables a better assessment of cross-strait relations. China’s push for political talks and Taiwan’s resistance to them imply that their political positions on the fundamental issues of sovereignty and ‘living space’ for Taiwan remain unchanged. Considering Taiwan’s complex domestic political scenario, which is largely against unification with Mainland China, the likelihood of Taiwan agreeing to political talks for unification is remote. While the ruling Kuomintang extends qualified support for political talks, the opposition parties reject them outright. In addition, deepening popular anxiety against closer cooperation with Mainland China further constrains prospects for political talks.