It is evident that US/Russian diplomacy is moving quickly. Time will judge the merits. Looks like love is breaking out all over the world, but I wouldn't be too sure.
Taiwan President Wants to Look for Roots in China
Friday November 16 2:50 AM ET
By Benjamin Kang Lim
TAIPEI (Reuters) - In an overture to China, Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian has offered to visit the communist giant to search for his family roots and called for more contact and trust between the bitter rivals, his office said on Friday.
In an interview that was recorded on Thursday and will be broadcast to China later this month, Chen said it was his ''greatest dream'' to mend fences with China during his term -- but added the issue of whether the two sides should reunite or split should be resolved at least 20 years from now.
``Why can't the two sides have a bit more economics and a bit less politics? Why can't the two sides have more contact and less misunderstanding? Why can't the two sides have more trust and less bullying?,'' Chen asked in the interview with the state-owned Central Broadcasting System.
China considers Taiwan a breakaway province and has threatened to attack if the island declared independence or dragged its feet on unification talks.
It is unclear if Beijing would let Chen set foot on the mainland. Beijing remains deeply suspicious of Chen even though he has mellowed his pro-independence stand.
Chen said he hoped to visit his ancestral hometown in Shao'an county in China's southeastern province of Fujian.
``I hope I can have the chance to search for my roots,'' Chen said in the interview, which will be broadcast to China and the rest of the world in 18 languages in late November.
His overture came on the heels of Taiwan easing curbs on trade with, and investment in, China this month in a goodwill gesture and in a bid to improve Chen's standing ahead of December 1 parliamentary and mayoral elections.
But opposition politicians and the media criticized that as too little too late, and Chen came under fire for sacrificing Taiwan's economic good for a policy of confrontation with China.
Taiwan boycotted a summit of Asia Pacific leaders in Shanghai last month in a row with China over the island's representation.
DIFFERENCES, THINGS IN COMMON
Dismissing those charges, Chen said: ``We have a blood relationship, a common culture, religious belief and history with the mainland.''
``Even though there are some differences in our political systems today and possibly huge differences in our modes of thinking, we have so many things in common,'' Chen said. ''Why must we politicize and ideologize things at every turn?''
He repeated a call for Taiwan and China's leaders to start the rapprochement process, which would lead to ``the establishment of mutual trust and the pursuit of a new framework for political integration with the two sides living in everlasting peace.''
Chen has likened himself to Richard Nixon, the U.S. president who engaged China in 1972, and promised a breakthrough in China-Taiwan ties when he took office in May 2000, ending 55 years of Nationalist Party rule.
But ties have remained deadlocked -- exactly where they have been since 1999 when Beijing angrily suspended dialogue after then Taiwan president Lee Teng-hui unilaterally redefined bilateral ties as ``special state to state.''
Lack of progress has exasperated the island's business community, who are looking to China at a time when the island's economy is struggling with its worst recession in two decades.
Despite tensions, Taiwan investors have poured $60 billion into China since dtente began in the late 1980s, lured by low land and labor costs as well as a common language and culture
dailynews.yahoo.com
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