An Examination of Chinese and Taiwanese Media Sources in Relation to the Development of Cross-strait Flights

• Main Author: Sand, Erik
• Other Authors: Rupprecht, Hsiao-Wei
• Language: en_ca
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: China; Taiwan; 0332
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1807/18869

Direct links between Taiwan and China have been re-established since the end of 2008. At present, regular direct flights between airports in Taiwan and China are in operation. This reality is the culmination of negotiations between China and Taiwan. A number of obstacles in ideology and politics existed throughout the negotiations. Particularly salient to these obstacles were the discourse of the one-China principle, as well as the political strategies and ideologies of the Kuomintang and Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan. In addition, the influence of the media with regard to the resolution of ideological and political conflict was an important factor. Different news media outlets in Taiwan and China developed their own narratives of the development of cross-strait relations and negotiation of the Three Links. An analysis of news media perspectives offers insight into the complex nature of political communication in Taiwan and China.