October 3, 2013
No. 074
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) entrusted National Chengchi University (NCCU) and the U.S.-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP) to jointly hold an international symposium on "Cross-Strait Developments in 2013: New Trends and Prospects." The symposium is to be held in Washington, D.C. on October 3rd and 4th (U.S. Time), During the one-and-a-half-day symposium, prominent scholars and experts from Taiwan, the United States and Mainland China are to present papers and exchang views on the development of cross-strait relations, Taiwan-U.S.-China relations, internal developments in the Mainland, and impacts of the situation in the Asia-Pacific region on cross-strait relations. U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kim Moy has also been invited to present a speech at the symposium.
The MAC noted that this cooperation between Taiwanese and foreign think tanks in jointly holding the symposium in Washington, D.C. to discuss important cross-strait issues has been ongoing for four consecutive years. The symposiums held over the years have drawn attention to related developments in cross-strait relations, as well as promoted communication and exchanges of opinion among scholars in Taiwan, the U.S. and the Mainland. Participating scholars from Taiwan this year will include Director Ding Shuh-fan of the Institute of International Relations at NCCU; Associate Researcher of the Second Research Institute Chyungly Lee; Distinguished Professor Chao Chien-min of the Graduate Institute of Mainland China Studies and Dr. Sun Yat-Sen's Thoughts at Chinese Culture University; Professor Samuel Shiouh-Guang Wu of the Department of Public Administration and Policy at National Taipei University; Research Fellow Song Yann-huei of the Institute of European and American Studies at Academia Sinica; Professor Chou Chih-chieh of the Department of Political Science at National Cheng Kung University; Associate Professor Huang Kwei-bo of the Department of Diplomacy at NCCU; and Assistant Professor Tsai Chung-min of the Department of Political Science at NCCU. Participating U.S. scholars will include Vice President of the Carnegie Foundation for International Peace Douglas Paal; Director of the Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution Richard Bush; Director of the East Asia Program at the Henry L. Stimson Center Alan Romberg; George Washington University professors David Shambaugh and Robert Sutter; Director of Japan Studies at the American Enterprise Institute Michael Auslin; Brookings Institution Senior Research Fellow Kenneth Lieberthal; and Johns Hopkins University Professor David Lampton. Participants from the Mainland will include scholars from Tsinghua University, People's University, Xiamen University and related research think tanks.
The MAC stated that, over the past five plus years, the government's achievements in promoting peaceful and stable development of cross-strait relations has been highly affirmed by the international community, have made significant contributions to regional safety and stability, won greater international support for Taiwan and laid a solid foundation for further development of cross-strait relations. By entrusting important think tanks to host international symposium, the MAC hopes to expand academic discussions between Taiwan, U.S. and Mainland scholars on issues of concern and thus, create a platform to facilitate communication and exchange so that all parties may gain deeper understanding of development in cross-strait relations and thereby enhance mutual understanding.