Electronic Bulletin, October 2008, No. 2

Electronic Bulletin
Public Affairs Section, U.S. Consulate General, Hong Kong
October 2008, No. 2

(The Electronic Bulletin is an information service published by the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Consulate General and provided to subscribers by e-mail and fax. Except for the U.S. Government sites, the opinions expressed on the Internet sites listed here do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Government.)

Promoting Confidence Building across the Taiwan Strait: A Report of the CSIS International Security Program and Pacific Forum CSIS
Center for Strategic and International Studies
Bonnie Glaser and Brad Glosserman
September 16, 2008

The report is available online. (PDF file)*

*(To view and print PDF files, please download the FREE Adobe Reader.)

Synopsis:

The advent of a new administration in Taiwan under the leadership of President Ma Ying-jeou and his Kuomintang (KMT) party has brought with it promising prospects for improved mainland China–Taiwan relations. The progress of recent months suggests that the leadership of both governments seeks to realize a long-term stabilization of cross-Strait relations. Critical to the process of improving and consolidating the relationship is the role of confidence-building measures (CBMs), which are needed to reduce the dangers of accidental conflict, establish patterns of cooperation, and lay the groundwork for building greater trust.

In April 2008 authors Bonnie Glaser and Brad Glosserman led a delegation of experts to Taipei and Beijing to hold meetings with experts and officials on potential CBMs in a variety of areas including military, health, and environmental spheres. The report presents the authors' findings, recommendations, and assessment of the possibilities for and main obstacles to confidence building in the Taiwan Strait.

(Source: CSIS website)

Subject: Foreign Policy