Positive Trends in Cross-Strait Relations

Democracy came to Taiwan under the leadership of Chiang Ching-Kuo, which brought an end to almost four decades of one-party dictatorship. Chiang Kai‐Shek had harboured the dream of overtaking the whole of China and establishing the rule of Kuomintang (KMT). But with the passage of time and a shift in the international political scenario, he realized that this would not be possible. The outcome of democratization was the Taiwanization 1 of Taiwanese domestic politics and as democracy matured, subsequent Taiwanese leaders realized the benefits of maintaining the ongoing status quo across the Taiwan Straits.