Could mainland Chinese academics’ visit to Taiwan be first hint of a thaw?

A visit to Taiwan by two prominent mainland Chinese academics to meet counterparts there has prompted speculation about opening the way for unofficial exchanges between cross-strait government affiliates.

However, some analysts remain sceptical, suggesting that Taipei’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) may be trying to create the misleading impression that formal talks with Beijing are possible.

Yan Anlin, academic committee director at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, and Sheng Jiuyuan, director of the Centre for Taiwan Studies at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, were granted approval by Taiwanese authorities to visit the island between January 5 and 10.

Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, which oversees cross-strait policies, confirmed they were visiting on January 9. This came after local media reported that the pair had met representatives of two Taiwanese think tanks – one of them reportedly linked to the DPP.

“They are indeed in Taiwan. It is our position that exchanges between think tanks on both sides are beneficial for mutual understanding,” council spokesman Liang Wen-chieh said.

He added that the council would “make proper arrangements for interactions [to address] concrete issues”, but declined to disclose specific details of their discussions.