SINGAPORE -- Controversy in Taiwan over the March 20 presidential poll as well as political stirrings in Hong Kong over China's "final" say in deciding reforms have probably contributed to rising nationalism in China. These three trends could affect the future development of China and the stability of the Asia-Pacific region.
The debacle in Taiwan over the election results has implications for future negotiations between Taipei and Beijing concerning reunification:
First, Taiwanese society is more politically polarized than ever following the heated electoral campaigning, President Chen Shui-bian's slim 0.22 percent victory margin over Kuomintang (KMT) chairman Lien Chan, and the electoral aftermath of protests and sit-ins.