Beijing and Taipei will talk about inching closer together

People on both sides of the Taiwan Strait have long agreed on one thing: there should be only one China. While the political gulf between Taiwan and the People's Republic remains huge, the two Chinas have scheduled private talks in Singapore within the next few weeks that could be the first step toward closer ties. The agenda may include the introduction of direct transportation links, perhaps starting with service between the Taiwan-controlled island of Quemoy and Xiamen, one of the mainland's free-marketeering special economic zones. Why talk now? Both sides may be concerned about recent electoral gains in Taiwan made by the country's pro-independence forces, which are unbudgingly opposed to unification.