A woman will be the next president of Taiwan, whichever party wins the election next January. On July 19, the governing Kuomintang Party (KMT) selected Hung Hsiu-chu as presidential candidate. The presidential election will match her against Tsai Ing-wen, chairwoman of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the principal opposition, and their 2012 presidential nominee.
The KMT suffered a severe defeat last November in municipal and county elections. In consequence, President Ma Ying-jeou stepped down as party chairman. The successor party chairman as well as the senior legislative leader decided not to seek the presidency, facilitating Ms. Hung's rise.
Doors for women at the top are opening, and opening as well in China-Taiwan cooperation. On February 11, 2014 representatives of the island and the mainland agreed to exchange representative offices. Face-to-face negotiations were led by Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun of China, head of the Taiwan Affairs Office, and Taiwan Mainland Affairs Minister Wang Yu-chi.
The two sides share a bitter legacy of battle and blood. In 1949, Nationalist forces of General Chiang Kai-shek evacuated to Taiwan. Mao Zedong's armies controlled the mainland of China. Except for the island territory, communist revolution was complete.
The Korean War of 1950-53 made the Cold War global, with China and the United States direct combatants. U.S. commitment to Taiwan security became explicit.
On June 2 this year, President Ma discussed progress via international video with a Stanford University audience. The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Chicago hosted a seminar to review the event. Ma restated formal policy of no unification with the mainland, no formal independence declaration, and no use of force. He underscored cooperation, now including millions of visitors from the mainland annually.
The foundation of cooperation has been built steadily, over time. Pragmatism characterizes Taiwan's approach to mainland China. Following formal U.S. diplomatic recognition of Beijing in 1978, in consequence of President Richard Nixon's 1972 visit, Taipei immediately launched a comprehensive essentially non-confrontational strategic response.
Consular offices around the U.S. were expanded. State government officials, along with members of Congress, were assiduously courted. Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton was among those who visited Taiwan. Positive Congressional ties became an especially important priority, which clearly paid dividends over the years.
In November 2008, agreement was reached on comprehensive trade accords, including direct shipping, expansion of weekly passenger flights from 36 to 108, and introduction of up to 60 cargo flights per month.
In 2010, the bilateral Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) was concluded. This has been a major triumph for President Ma. His election and reelection to the presidency in 2008 and 2012 has led to Beijing rapprochement.
Taiwan has become essential investor for the enormous industrial revolution taking place on the mainland. Commercially successful, generally well-educated overseas Chinese in turn are a vital source of capital for the mainland. Expatriate Chinese also vote in Taiwan elections.
The ECFA framework is now so strong that a return to earlier hostility across the Taiwan Strait is extremely unlikely. Ironically, the conservative KMT has been more comfortable than the liberal DPP with practical pragmatic cooperation with Beijing. When in power, however, the DPP continued mainland cooperation, muted formal commitment to declaring independence from China, and conformed to the new realities.
Two female leaders at the pinnacle of Taiwan politics symbolize equality, fairness and progress. Open competitive markets undercut unfair rigidities of tradition and ideology. Taiwan demonstrates this dramatically, and China reflects this reality.
Arthur I. Cyr is Clausen Distinguished Professor at Carthage College and author of "After the Cold War." Contact him at acyr@carthage.edu. The view expressed in
this article doesn't reflect that of The Korea Times or its editorial board but belongs to the author.