With recent news of China launching missiles near the main seaports of Taiwan and the warning to the U.S. to stay away from an island China regards as a renegade offshore province, information on the complex, mercurial relationship between China and Taiwan is at a premium. Offering a series of essays that grew out of an international conference cosponsored by Hudson Institute and the School of Advanced International Studies of Johns Hopkins University, this book considers the past, present, and future relationships between Taiwan and China and provides a thorough overview of the issues that divide the two nations.In his introduction, Wheeler explains that an outbreak of violence between China and Taiwan would have devastating consequences for the region and the international order, and that the U.S. has an essential role in helping to keep the peace. He provides an overview of the major findings of the conference and identifies the important risks, opportunities, and policy implications of the tension between the two nations. He also considers whether tension across the Taiwan Strait "is likely to remain an immutable fact of international life" or, through the increasing web of economic and other relations, Taiwan and the mainland can reach constructive conflict resolution.Other essays examine the domestic roots of the policy differences between the two nations; analyze the effect of bilateral interactions between Taiwan and the U.S., Japan, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on the evolving cross- straits relationship; and consider possible scenarios for the future of this strained relationship.As the relationship between China and Taiwan continues to evolve, this book offers policymakers a solid understanding of the issues, ideas, and events that underlie the conflict and should drive U.S. efforts toward peace and prosperity in the region. Read Less