Easing of Tensions?

Xinhua - English: "BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhuanet) -- A communique issued after a summit between General Secretary Hu Jintao of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Chairman Lien Chan of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party says that the two parties will promote an overall economic and trade cooperation across the Taiwan Straits, including the overall, direct and two-way 'Three Links'.
The idea of the so-call 'Three Links' came up on January 1, 1979, when the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, published a proposal to the Taiwan compatriots, calling for opening up direct transport, trade and mail services across the Taiwan Straits."


Granted this comes from what I'm almost certain is a mainland based publication as another article discussed Taiwan's "secessionist" tendencies... but it's interesting (dare I say?) progress. I don't know half as much as I should about the issue, but it seems like there's been quite a lot of movement over the last two years. Unlike Israel/Palestine, where I have a very hard time seeing a real end to conflicts any time soon, I think something significant will happen with PRC/Taiwanese relations... granted this visit was by the KMT, which despite being the original Taiwanese party is currently out of power and has shifted away from it's origins to a more Pro-PRC stance, but this is real news. Things are changing--I only ask "how?" Will this movement stop at stronger trade ties and interdependence? Will Taiwan go the way of Hong Kong and Macau? If it did, would it be by guns and fire or by doves and olive branches? Even on pure economic terms, with the members of APEC accounting for 90% of world trade, we turn an increasingly attentive eye to events in the Asian theatre.