From Overseas Press

Taiwan's existence can only be defined in relation to the mainland

(The China Post)
Updated: 2010-06-18 13:45

It is undeniable that the cross-strait ties are heading towards a direction where a return of Taiwan to the days of isolationism is unimaginable in the foreseeable future.

Cross-strait ties have been so closely knitted into lives in Taiwan that they are now influencing the way we see, think and talk about things—from thoughts inspired by an ad campaign to political bickering.

And it seems that all development in Taiwan is meant to serve cross-strait relations.

The mainland has to take the credit for the revival of the Taipei Songshan Airport. It was on the verge of closing up shop after domestic airlines were heavily hit by the launch of high-speed train services.

Without the fast-improving cross-strait relations, the Taipei airport could have made way for a park as proposed by the main opposition Democratic Progressive Party.

But it now serves direct flights between Taipei and Shanghai's Hongqiao Airport.

Now even DPP candidate Su Tseng-chang, who is campaigning to unseat Kuomintang Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin in the year-end election, has agreed that the airport should stay. It is his first major deviation from the DPP line.

But Su's opponents are pressing him further, demanding he clearly state his stance on the signing of an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) between Taiwan and the mainland.

Candidates in such high-level elections in Taiwan can never avoid addressing such political issues. And the ECFA as well as the airport revival are part of a bigger issue, which is cross-strait relations.

The ECFA has been the biggest issue in terms of cross-strait ties over the past several months.