Constructing a ＂Common Field＂ Across the Taiwan Strait via Environmentalism？ Case Studies of Cross-Strait Environment NGO Exchanges

This paper examines cases of exchange among environmental non-governmental organizations （ENGOs） between Taiwan and China. Based on interviews with three Taiwan Residents ENGOs and five Chinese ENGOs, this article has come up with the following preliminary observations. First, Chinese ENGOs have already built widespread connections with international community and developed good partner relationship within international groups. The exchange between the ENGOs across the Taiwan Strait is part of such a global network. Second, unlike other external or international actors, the Taiwan Residents ENGOs rarely provide direct financial support to the Chinese counterparts. Instead, the most important impact the Taiwan Residents ENGOs have brought to their Chinese counterparts are their accounts of ideas and their experiences of practices. Third, due to similar language and cultural backgrounds, Taiwan Residents ENGOs have a more important role in influencing their Chinese counterparts in comparison with other international connection. These direct contacts have contributed to form a ＂common identity＂ of environmentalism among the ENGOs across the strait, which actually is also part of a ＂global identity of environmentalism＂. Exchanges across the Taiwan Strait among ENGOs have provided a case in which cross-strait relations can be constructed and construed beyond nationalistic or economic context. ENGOs of Taiwan and China are developing a ＂common identity＂ as partners in a global community via ＂environmentalism＂.

A MILESTONE IN CROSS-STRAITS RELATIONS

Trade agreement expected to strengthen economic links between the Chinese mainland and

Cross-Straits Optimism

Wu Poh-hsiung, Chairman of Taiwan’s Kuomintang, visited the Chinese mainland on May 26-31,at the invitation of Hu Jintao, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. During their meeting on May 28, the two leaders reached consensus on strengthening exchanges and promoting mutual trust across the Taiwan Straits. Li Jiaquan and Sun Shengliang,researchers at the Institute of Taiwan Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, published articles on the meeting between Hu and Wu, projecting an optimistic future for cross-straits relations.

A Breakthrough Year In Cross-Straits Relations

The year 2009 witnessed new progres in cross-Taiwan Straits relations They were ushered into a new stage featuring more frequent communication, broader cooperation and faste development. Closer Links After the Kuomintang returned to powe in Taiwan in May 2008,

Taiwan county hosts 8th Cross-Straits Spring Festival Temple Fair

From Feb 17 to 21,the 8th CrossStraits Spring Festival Temple Fair of Folk Customs—jointly organized by the China Friendship Foundation for Peace and Development(CFFPD),the Chinese Culture Friendship Association and the Sichuan People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries—was

US Imperialism and its Legacies in East Asia:Thucydides Trap or Thrasymachus Paradox?

The US presence in East Asia is not simply a result of the victory over Japan in WW2,but a legacy of the US takeover of the Spanish overseas empire in 1898.Today,the threat of war between China and the US has little to do with Allison's Thucydides trap,which is based on a misreading of Thucydides'work:It originates from what in China is seen as a US imperial presence that mirrors Western inter-ference in Chinese affairs during the so-called“century of humiliation.”China is an authoritarian state with regional hegemonic ambitions,yet the West has been endorsing other authoritarian states,even absolute monarchies,that fit its geopoliti-cal interests.Notwithstanding the purported US support of“freedom”and“democ-racy,”the US in East Asia has been carrying out a foreign policy that,as an exten-sion of misinterpretations of the Monroe Doctrine,is a legacy of empire.This legacy is too often overlooked,while overseas interests are justified on the basis of secu-rity concerns.Thucydides is relevant,but to compare the American and Athenian empires and their demise,not to drag China into US geopolitical discourse,when focus should have long been on Russia.Anti-colonial theory shows how interstate relations,in particular in the East Asian context,are not defined by Thucydides trap,but Thrasymachus paradox.

Impact of Cross-Strait Trade Liberalization:A Computable General Equilibrium Analysis

This paper applies a computable general equilibrium model to investigate the potential economic effects of trade liberalization across the Taiwan Strait. Our simulation results reveal that cross-Strait trade liberalization will have significant positive impacts on external trade, domestic investment and real GDP for the economies in this area in general and in Taiwan in particular. Furthermore, the negative impact from the formation of a free trade arrangement between Taiwan and Chinese Mainland on Hong Kong seems to be rather small. These results suggest that cross-Strait trade liberalization is very likely to bring about a win-win situation for the economies in this area.

Cross-strait parasitological research priorities arrived at by historical tracking and advanced dialogue

To further enhance dialogue and promote cross-strait cooperation in the prevention and control of parasitic diseases,this paper reviewed the progress and current challenges in the cross-strait control and research of parasitic infections,based on three cross-strait meetings on parasitological research in the last decade.The major outcome of the 3rd Meeting of Cross-Strait Parasitological Research held in April 2013 was identifying the research priorities for parasitological research.

Interest Similarity and Cross-Strait Peace

Studies in this article support the peace-building effects of interest similarity, and we have to re-evaluate the current world peace through a new lens of interest. Previous research has informed us that states with similar security and/or economic interests will experience fewer conflict onsets. This study begins with research treating interest similarity as a ＂facilitating condition for conflict,＂ and argues that in addition to security interest, capitalist economic policies that lead to the deeper integration of an economy into international markets should be considered one of the ultimate driving forces of peace. By discussing a brief description of bilateral peace in the China-Taiwan dyad, this article concludes that the China- Taiwan dyad has less possibility of encountering military conflict if both governments can maintain similarity in their security interests. Moreover, the author distinguishes different models in capitalist peace theory, which include the free-market and the social-market. Accordingly, this article examines three different prestigious capitalist models： trade, capital openness, and contract-intensive economy as social- market theory. The results suggest that the China-Taiwan case is an appropriate case for the trade （Weede, Economic development, social order, and world politics, 1996） and capital openness models （Gartzke, Am J Polit Sci 51（1）： 166-191, 2007）. Future studies need to be more aware of the model chosen for capitalist peace on cross-Strait relations.

At the Nexus of New Challenges： China＇s Leadership Change and Cross-Strait Relations

China＇s 2012 leadership change revealed signs of factional divide at the top level. The elitist/princeling faction has outnumbered the populist faction. Princelings have better and stronger ties with the military, which tends to have a more hawkish view regarding any potential Taiwan independence. In Taiwan, changing social experiences have created a new Taiwan Residents identity, which is dif- ferent from that of the Chinese. People in Taiwan are increasingly thinking of themselves as Taiwan Residents instead of Chinese. On the mainland, Chinese popular nationalism has been on the rise, as anti-Taiwan independence remains one of the most nationalistic issues. When the forces of new identity and nationalism meet each other, a diverging path regarding the future of Taiwan is being created. Moreover, China＇s economic and military power continues to rise, giving China more confidence. I argue that the overall effect is that China＇s new leadership will increasingly have the capability to act tougher against any potential Taiwan Residents independence. The potential need to act tougher with Taiwan may be beyond the desire and control of Chinese elites due to the rise of popular nationalism in China and the leadership＇s need to maintain internal legitimacy and survival.

China·Zhangzhou Cross-Strait Viewing Stone Appreciation Cultural Exchange Exhibition Held A Grand Opening Ceremony

The flourishing age of China,the great beauty of Zhangzhou.Across the Taiwan Strait and Chinese mainland,we share the joy,Jiu Longbi stone add its splendor.On May 16,2019,China.Zhangzhou Cross-Strait Viewing Stone Appreciation Cultural Exchange Exhibition held a grand opening ceremony at Zhangzhou Museum of Art,Fujian Province.

What Role Does the Political Environment Play in Economic Development？ --A Case Study of Fujian Province

Uncertainty induced by the political environment affects investment risk, and thus affects investment decisions, which have a close relationship with economic development. This paper investigates the economic cost of political instability using the case study of the tense relationship across-Strait in China. We use a synthetic control method to better model the counterfactual analysis of this case study. The intense situation of the relations across-Strait has great influence on the economic development of Fujian province. Fujian province is the closest province in proximity to Taiwan and also possesses the greatest preferential policies for Taiwan Residents direct investment. The empirical results of this study reveal that during 2001-2008 Fujian province＇s average annual loss in GDP per capita was 682.54 yuan. In other words, GDP per capita in Fujian has declined about 12.1 percent annually during this period compared with GDP per capita as calculated by the synthetic control method.