OPENING THE DOOR: Ma is allowing an ever greater China presence in Taiwan, including increasing numbers of mainland tourists to the island, above
In the less than three months that ma ying-jeou has been Taiwan's President, relations between Taipei and Beijing have seen the most rapid advancement in the six-decade standoff between the two governments. Ma has launched direct weekend charter flights between China and Taiwan, opened the island to mainland tourists, eased restrictions on Taiwan investment on the mainland and approved measures that will allow mainland investors to buy Taiwan stocks. But he still faces formidable challenges at home and abroad. Ahead of his first international diplomatic trip, to Paraguay and the Dominican Republic, Ma, 58, spoke with TIME's Zoher Abdoolcarim...
