Top stories from DAWNS Digest
Progress! China and Taiwan Hold First Official Meeting in 65 Years
The talks focused on ways to formalize communications between the two parties. Baby steps, but still progress. “Representatives of Taiwan and China held their first official talks on Tuesday since the end of China’s civil war in 1949, a meeting expected to produce few concrete results but one that was a symbolic development in the easing of the two sides’ longtime rivalry. The setting was a resort hotel in the Chinese city of Nanjing, which was at times the capital of Chiang Kai-shek’s Republic of China before its government fled to Taiwan after being defeated by Mao Zedong’s Communist forces.” (NYT http://nyti.ms/1aSAXYd)
Security Council Mulls Syria Resolution on Humanitarian Access in Syria
It is being pushed hard by France, but will only succeed if they can avoid a “Nyet” from Moscow. This is the French Ambassador Gerard Araud: “It is in this context that this text has been presented. It is a very moderate, very simple text. It is calling for ending the siege of the cities where civilians are blocked ; to end indiscriminate shelling by the regime ; the demilitarization of hospitals, schools and civilian infrastructures ; a humanitarian pause to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid and allowing the access of humanitarian aid through the borders of Syria. It is not a political text, it is balanced. There is no reason to oppose it. It can be amended. As my President said this morning, we are determined to go all the way.” (French UN Mission http://bit.ly/1grkfgz)