Despite Taiwan and China's avowed commitment to maintain the status quo when it comes to cross-strait ties, a number of recent developments point to undercurrents of change. Indeed, there is a growing uncertainty in the island state's relationship with its mainland counterpart. In an interview published Tuesday by The Wall Street Journal, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen affirmed that the island would not "bow to pressure" from Beijing and called for reducing Taiwan's economic dependence on China. On Wednesday, it was announced that Tsai had nominated James Soong, head of a junior party in the Nationalist Party-led opposition coalition, to represent Taiwan at an Asia-Pacific Economic Conference (APEC) meeting in Peru this November. A month earlier, his appointment had been soundly rejected by Beijing....
