Taiwan-China Relations
Key words：
Conflict 衝突、Taiwan Strait 台灣海峽、Asia-Pacific region 亞太地區、
world peace 世界和平、expanding 擴大中、發展中、refuse 拒絕、
renounce 放棄、force 武力、internal 國內的、external 國外的、challenges 挑戰
、難題　、democratization 民主化、economic 經濟的、political政治的、
cross-strait 海峽兩岸、World Trade Organization 國際貿易組織
the September 11 attacks 911攻擊、United States 聯合國、
Cross-strait relations 兩岸關係、regional issue 地方議題、perspectives 展望、
coexist共存、co-prosper 共榮

For decades, potential conflict in the Taiwan Strait has remained a serious threat to the Asia-Pacific region. Even today as trade, business, and private contracts between the two sides are rapidly expanding, the Beijing authorities on the Chinese mainland still refuse to renounce the use of force against Taiwan.

In recent years, both sides of the Taiwan Strait have faced major internal an external challenges. Taiwan has implemented thoroughgoing democratization leading to an unprecedented change of governing party; China is undergoing economic an political transition;

Cross-Strait interactions have increased following the accession of both sides to the world Trade Organization. Cross-Strait relations are no longer merely a regional issue but have become and important item no the agenda of international relations.

Historical Overview
Key words：
the Republic of China (ROC) 中華民國、
the People’s republic of China (PRC) 中國人民共和國
the Kuomintang (KMT) 國民黨、jurisdiction 管轄、Taiwan 台灣、Penghu 澎湖、
Kinmen 金門、Matsu 馬祖、Governed 統治、Separate 分離、Territories 領土、
Liberate 解放、Force 武力、Beijing 北京、Peaceful 和平愛好者、
Three No’s policy 三不政策、no contacts 不接觸、no negotiations 不談判
no compromise 不妥協、liberalization 自由主義化、democratization 民主化、
KMT government 國民政府、National Unification Council (NUC) 國家統一委員會、
Guidelines for National Unification 國家統一綱領、
President Lee Teng-hui 總統李登輝、Announced 宣告、發表、Termination 終止、
Period of National Mobilization for Suppression of the Communist Rebellion 動員戡亂時期、
Statute Governing the Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area 台灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例
Legislative Yuan 立法院、Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) 行政院大陸委員會、
Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) 海岸交流基金會、
Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS)　海峽兩岸關係協會

Founded in 1912, the republic of China (ROC) was Asia’s first constitutional republic.

In 1949, the ROC government, led by the KMT, moved to Taiwan. The two sides of the Taiwan Strait have been governed as separate territories and developed separate identities.

In 1979, Beijing began pursuing a course of peaceful confrontation by launching an intensive united font campaign, to which the KMT on Taiwan responded with the “Three No’s” policy (no contacts, no negotiations, and no compromise).

Throughout the 1980’s, economic liberalization, social diversification, and political democratization increased in Taiwan. With the lifting of the Emergency Decree in 1987, the ROC government adopted a more open policy toward the PRC. Cross-Strait economic, cultural, and educational exchanges increased rapidly afterwards.

In 1990, the KMT government set up the National Unification Council (國家統一委員會), which, in February 1991, drafted the Guidelines for unification.

Cross-Strait Consultations
Key words：
the first bilateral talks 第一次會談、Koo Chen-fu 辜振甫、Wang Daohan 汪道涵、
the second round of Koo-Wang talks 第二次辜汪會談、test-fired 試射、
guided missiles 飛彈、coast of Taiwan 台灣的海岸、Shanghai 上海、
special state-to-state relations 特殊國與國關係

In April 1993, the Straits Exchange Foundation and its mainland counterpart the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) 海峽兩岸關係會, met in Singapore for the first bilateral talks in over four decades. The discussions were led by SEF Chairman Koo Chen-fu 辜振甫 and ARATS Chairman Wang Daohan 汪道涵.

Despite these talks, cross-strait relations began to deteriorate shortly thereafter. The PRC authorities indefinitely postponed the second round of Koo-Wang talks, whuch had been scheduled for the Beijing in July 1995, as their way of protesting President Lee Teng-hui’s June 1995 visit to Cornell University, his alma mater in the US.

In March 1996, immediately before Taiwan’s first direct pres9idential election, Beijing test-fired guided missiles off the coast of Taiwan.

In October 1998, after a more-than-three-year hiatus, SEF Chairman Koo Chen-fu met with ARATS Chairman Wang Daohan in Shanghai. They agreed to expand exchanges at various levels, no significant breakthroughs were achieved on the most difficult issues during the meeting in China.

Beijing again unilaterally suspended negotiations after President Lee Teng-hui described the cross-strait situation as “special state-to state relations” 特殊國與國關係　during an interview with a German radio station in 1999.

News Agencies

computerize/facilitate/sepcialize

Taiwan had 841 registered news agencies in 2003. And the oldest and largest is the CAN. It’s also the first media organization to be fully computerized in Taiwan. CAN has 15 departments that operate on 24-hour basis, and it maintains over 30 overseas offices. CAN not only file stories in both Chinese and English on news, but also provides complete domestic, overseas Chinese, and international news in many languages to print media, television, and broadcast. And its website has been one of the most popular Internet portals. Another is the CENS. It’s has an Internet portal that facilitates easy foreign access to Taiwan suppliers. And the Overseas Chinese News Agency is an affiliate of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission. It’s provides news on domestic events to overseas Chinese media worldwide. The MNA is under the Ministry of National Defense, is the only domestic news agency that specializes in military news. Another is the Foreign Workers News Agency, which provides information on labor legislation and the job market to foreign workers.

Print Media

restriction/ease/coverage/strategic alliances/diversify

Taiwan’s newspaper industry ever faced the formidable challenge of operating in 1950s. And competition began to intensify, newspapers had expanded to 12 pages. In January 1988, the papers expanded to 32 and even 40 pages. But now it has slowed the growth of the newspaper industry.

Culture

Indigenous Arts
Arts such as woodcarving, weaving, basketry, as well as ceremonial dances and songs, have long played a central role in indigenous life, with each ethnicity developing its own distinct artistic style.
The government is also making efforts to promote tribal culture. In the last few years, such as recording the songs and dances of indigenous peoples.

Woodcarving
Paiwan carvings range from toys, ornamental objects, and religious implements to buildings, furniture, and weapons.
Rukai carvings are similar but of less variety. The Yami, who live primarily on Orchid Island off the southern coast of Taiwan, are expert woodcarvers.

Weaving
Another art form central to aboriginal culture is weaving, which is especially well-developed among the Atayal.
Women in other indigenous groups also weave and the Paiwan are adept at embroidery.

Ceramics
Pottery-making traditions are maintained by the Bunun, Paiwan, Rukai, Amis, and Yami. For the Paiwan, pots are strongly associated with ancestor worship

Architecture
The indigenous peoples have unique architectural traditions.

Dance and Music
Dance and music are perhaps the richest legacies of Taiwan's native peoples.
Communal dances, performed at regular ceremonies and rituals, consist mostly of simple but harmonious walking and foot-stomping movements, often performed in unison and accompanied by melodic choruses.
indigenous music is intimately connected to nearly every aspect of tribal life, from daily chores to religious rites. The songs are divided into four groups, according to theme: harvests, daily work, love, and tribal legends.

Mass Media

◎Broadcasting
construction/ significantly/ programming/ cooperate/ unprecedented
Radio: Prior to 1993, there were only 33 radio broadcasting companies in Taiwan. By 2003, the number had increased to 154, and another 20 were under construction, while 3,217 radio program production companies were registered. The radio broadcasting industry in Taiwan has change significantly since the 1950s, when dramatic, cultural, and children’s radio programs were the primary form of household entertainment. Radio stations have also begun to cooperate with newspapers to deliver the latest news to local audiences as quickly as possible. Television: The past decade has brought unprecedented challenges for Taiwan’s television industry with the establishment of a public television system, increased penetration of cable and satellite broadcasting, and growing popularity of mainland Chinese, Korean, and Japanese drama series. Commercial Television: Taiwan television began in February 1962, when the experimental National Education Television began broadcasting two hours of educational programming each day. Public Television: The Public Television Service (PTS) was established in July 1998, as an independent, non-profit station to serve the interests of the public, raise broadcasting standards in Taiwan, safeguard the public's freedom of expression and access to knowledge, and enhance national education and culture.

◎Motion Pictures
Filmmaker/ introspective/ establishment/
Local filmmakers are best known for introspective and richly atmospheric works that explore social developments and the human condition in Taiwan. The domestic film industry released 21 movies in 2002 and 14 in 2003. In contrast, 222 foreign films and 48 Hong Kong films were distributed in Taiwan in 2003. Taiwan had 186 motion picture screening establishments operating 675 screens. Box office receipts for all movies in 2003 totaled only US$58 million. This decline from previous years was a direct result of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic, which kept people away from crowded public venues like movie theaters.

◎Intellectual Property Rights
competitiveness/ economy
Taiwan has adopted aggressive policies to protect intellectual property rights (IPR) and facilitate research and innovation as part of an overall strategy to foster the local knowledge-based economy and boost global competitiveness.

Mass Media

proliferation/station/free press

Taiwan’s media environment is suffering dramatic changes, when Internet use expands and cable and ADSL access becomes increasingly popular. And Taiwan ranked among countries having a free press by Freedom House, because a lot of foreign mass media organizations were stationed in Taiwan. And it means that Taiwan is a free press country.