The government should take a more flexible approach in protecting and expanding the welfare of Taiwanese in China.
The cross-strait political deadlock cannot be solved overnight. However, cross-strait exchanges will continue to deepen and expand. The Taiwanese government must face up to this.
If Taiwan continues to demand that China acknowledge Taiwan's sovereignty as a precondition for cross-strait exchanges and negotiations, the political deadlock will persist, allowing the Chinese government more opportunities to win over the Taiwanese people.
Adopting a more flexible approach in dealing with cross-strait trade negotiations does not mean that Taiwan must accept China's stance. In fact, only by following the trend toward more deregulated cross-strait trade can the Taiwanese government quell people's doubts and reduce the pressure of having to make political concessions to Beijing.
Tung Chen-yuan is an assistant professor in the Sun Yat-sen Graduate Institute of Social Sciences and Humanities at National Chengchi University.
Translated by Daniel Cheng
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