Beijing breathed a sigh of relief after Ma Ying-jeou’s reelection victory in January, and reaffirmed Hu Jintao’s December 31, 2008, vision for peaceful development of cross-Strait ties. While it might have preferred a more forward-leaning position from Taipei on the issue of political dialogue and a more unambiguous embrace of “one China,” it appeared to accept the results as “good enough” and to settle in for the long haul.

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