Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday said his government would “cautiously consider” whether the nation should sign a peace agreement with China within the next decade, but added that such a move would require strong domestic backing.

“We are now thinking of cautiously considering whether we should sign a cross-strait peace agreement within the next decade, as the two sides’ relations are gradually improving,” Ma said during a press conference at the Presidential Office where he presented the latest in a series of plans for his “golden decade” blueprint for the country’s development over the next 10 years.

A new study on the rising number of retired senior Taiwanese military officers who visit China concludes that retired officials of “mainland” heritage represent the constituency in Taiwan most likely to support unification and could serve as willing conduits for Chinese propaganda intended to manipulate public perceptions in Taiwan.

“Retired Taiwanese military officers have visited China in an individual capacity for many years,” writes John Dotson, a research coordinator on the staff of the congressionally mandated US-China Economic and Security Review Commission in the latest issue of the Jamestown Foundation’s China Brief.