Tien thinks that if the ethnic issue wasn't over-politicized in Taiwan, inter-marriage and the assimilation of cultural and social differences between mainlanders and Taiwanese would create a more harmonious society.
China's policy towards Taiwan also contributes to the ongoing distrust between mainlanders and native Taiwanese, Tien said.
"China's efforts to marginalize Taiwan, internationally and its threat of using force to `reunify' Taiwan has meant that anyone who expressed any affinity for China would be seen as a traitor in Taiwan," he said.
However, Tien is optimistic that, with time, the ethnicity problem will subside as the two groups converge.
"Strictly speaking, waishengren is not an ethnic group because they, unlike the Hakka, do not share a common religion, speak a common language or share a common history," Tien said.
"So it will be hard for them to continue to identify with China for a long time."
"I think in the future, within five to 10 years' time, the term `mainlander' will become blurred and it will be hard to tell whether someone is a mainlander or not," Tien said.
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