Promoting Confidence Building across the Taiwan Strait

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.