By Hu Shuli

Momentous changes have occurred in cross-strait relations this year, and it’s hard to play down their importance. Taiwan is truly the crux of the future for the Chinese nation. But until now, a long shadow has been cast by ups and downs in cross-strait developments.

The heartening shift started in Taiwan, where a new government took office and called for sharing peace and prosperity with the mainland. Now that the Kuomintang party (KMT) -- backer of the 1992 Consensus -- has regained the mandate, reconciliation is no longer mere rhetoric but is being promoted on both sides of the strait, at the highest levels.

In view of these conciliatory moves, both sides have reason to hope for lasting peace.

The news has been positive since March, when Ma Ying-jeou won the election in Taiwan. His running-mate, Vincent Siew, met Chinese President Hu Jintao in Hainan in April and, a short time later, President Hu held his fourth meeting with KMT’s former chairman Lien Chan as well as his first meeting with incumbent KMT Chairman Wu Po-hsiung.

The conciliatory process is to continue in June at a meeting where Chiang Pin-kun, the newly appointed chairman of Taiwan’s Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), and his counterpart Chen Yunlin, chief of the mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), are scheduled to resume consultations after a decade-long hiatus.

While meeting Lien on April 29, President Hu encouraged the process by offering a new formula. He called for fostering mutual trust, putting aside disagreements, seeking common ground and finding win-win solutions. He also fleshed out the new stance for incumbent KMT Chairman Wu.

What is new is the remarkable flexibility in President Hu’s offer. The new formula is based on mutual trust embedded in the 1992 Consensus -- the Taiwan-mainland agreement for “one China,” recognizing that both sides of the strait belong to a single Chinese nation -- and a readiness to put all intractable debates on hold. This kind of modus operandi leaves room for broadening the consensus through frequent contact and consultation. And an ultimate “win-win” situation depends on the peaceful development of cross-strait relations.

Wu had a positive response to the proposition. “Although it is beyond our ability to promise you that natural disasters will not strike,” he said, “we can, through our joint efforts, make sure that no war will occur across the straits.”

So another step has been made to shift relations from confrontation to reconciliation. At present, both sides are showing good will and making efforts to find solutions, as underscored by what’s happened in recent weeks at grassroots and official levels.

Following the Sichuan earthquake, for example, the Taiwanese people responded with sympathy and contributed large amounts of aid. The KMT central committee immediately sent a cable offering condolences and pledging relief and reconstruction support. Meanwhile, President Hu’s meeting with Wu laid a foundation for resuming talks between ARATS and SEF.

Moreover, the mainland made two, high-profile appointments that were welcomed by Taiwan: Chen Yunlin, who enjoys strong trust among the Taiwanese business community on the mainland, was put in charge of ARATS; and veteran career diplomat Wang Yi was named to succeed Chen as head of the Taiwan Affairs Office under the State Council.

More positive developments can be expected, including the addition of weekend charter flights between the mainland and Taiwan scheduled to be inaugurated July 4, thus bringing mainland tourists to Taiwan, and more mainland tolerance for Taiwanese participation in international organizations, including a place for Taiwan in the World Health Organization (WHO), which is of particular interest. Also expected in business circles are policy initiatives and legal rights protection favored by Taiwanese businesses.

After the weekend flights carry mainlanders to Taiwan, we hope to see real progress in the “three direct links” -- direct transportation, direct postal service and direct trade -- that Ma pledged during his campaign, as well as a scrapping of the ceiling on mainland investment and a liberalization of currency exchange regulations. The mainland should be prepared to respond effectively to these positive moves. Deepening economic ties can bring mutual benefits to the Taiwanese people and ultimately erode support for the Taiwan independence movement. Starting from the economy and then moving to political topics -- that is, moving from simple to complex -- is a sensible strategy.

All this amounts to a warm prelude. What follows could be a resounding masterpiece of lasting peace.

To be sure, it’s unrealistic to expect that a peace agreement would be inked in a single morning. Too many issues are waiting to be addressed. The desire for peace cannot steer clear of political realities, especially in terms of sovereignty. It requires the political wisdom of the leadership.

President Hu, during talks with Wu, pledged to move forward with discussions about Taiwan’s participation in the WHO. “We understand the feelings of the Taiwanese people for taking part in the activities of international organizations,” he said. This position has been hailed as a central achievement of the Hu-Wu talks, and such issues can be prioritized by importance and urgency. Whatever can be put aside for now should be, with a focus on resolving what needs to be resolved in a timely manner.

After years of hostility and confrontation, we appreciate the value of those positive developments. Yet we should understand that deep-seated differences remain. It is not realistic to expect quick solutions. On the other hand, we must not miss an opportunity for constructive contacts. The current prospects for peace talks may be distant, but that’s not the point. The key is that both sides have shown a sincere desire to work together toward common goals, day by day.