Abstract
   
As four generations of Chinese leadership have grappled with the Taiwan issue, the mainland has employed an evolving framework to deal with the ever-changing cross-Strait situation. This progression can be seen in changes from the “Nine Principles” advocated by Ye Jianying in 1981, to the “Eight Points” by Jiang Zeming in 1995, and then to the “Four Opinions” by President Hu Jintao in 2005. The Kuomintang (KMT)’s victory in the last presidential election and Ma Ying-jeou’s acceptance of the “1992 consensus” have created good conditions for the warming of cross-Strait relations. After many years of difficult wear and tear, facing the changing political and social situation on Taiwan Island, mainland China has started a wave of policy adjustments which provide a powerful dynamic for the improvement of cross-Strait relations.

Fulltext