China and Taiwan Hold First Official Meeting in 65 Years

Editor’s Note: Richard Bush offers his thoughts on the recent, historic meeting between the governments of China and Taiwan, the first in 65 years.

These talks were important because they occurred in the first place, and because the two ministers called each other by their official titles. The expectations for any breakthrough on the political issues that divided the two sides were very low, and the odds that much progress will be made on that front over the next two years are also low. It appears that there was some progress on the long outstanding agreement to allow each sides’ organization that implements cross-Strait policy to establish branch offices in the other’s territory, but differences over the right of such offices to visit their residents detained by law enforcement appear to remain.