The recent news of the kidnapping and murder of Kaohsiung City Councilor Li Ti-chuan in mainland China came as a shock to almost everyone in Taiwan. At almost the same time, the corpse of a Taiwan businessman, Wang Fu-ching, was discovered in a mountainous region of Shenzhen. According to statistics from the Straits Exchange Foundation, since 1990 more than 30 persons from Taiwan have died on the mainland and more than 100 have been robbed, kidnapped, blackmailed, beaten, had their freedoms restricted or disappeared.

Still more infuriating is that with the current structure of cross-straits relations and the international view of the "China" problem, the ROC government is unable to do much of anything. In cases ranging from the family members of Lin Ti-chuan and their representatives traveling to the mainland to negotiate the return of her body to earlier problems with basic freedoms and safety for Taiwanese people traveling or doing business on the mainland, our government can only call on the mainland government to settle matters fairly and expeditiously, and nothing else. In other words, people from Taiwan are largely left to fend for themselves in a dangerous environment. In the midst of the pain we feel, we can't help but ask the purpose of contacts between Taiwan and the mainland.

After 40 years of cold war, the two sides of the Taiwan straits have now supposedly chosen to face one another pragmatically, to establish mutually beneficial contacts aimed at creating well-being for the entire Chinese community. This well being is the hope of all modern nations and includes democracy, economic prosperity and social stability. Why is it that mainland China and even the international community cannot face the fact that the two sides of the Taiwan straits have separate political systems that are deserving of equal respect? Cross-strait relations should be like those between any two nations or political bodies in that there should be established organizations, such as representative offices, to provide aid to those who encounter problems. But if cross-strait contacts continue to emphasize "good will" and cooperation while avoiding the real problems confronting the two sides, or if negotiations continue to focus on only political issues, how will we achieve a major breakthrough? If the government can't even provide assistance and protection to those Taiwanese business people and travelers who encounter troubles in the mainland, how can it talk to the mainland about more exchanges and the possibility of eventual reunification? We hope that the upcoming "Koo-Wang" talks can address the basic problems of cross-straits contacts. We also hope that the discussions between the Straits Exchange Foundation and Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits will focus on issues related to the rights of people on both sides of the straits, especially guarantees of personal safety and property rights for Taiwanese in the mainland.

The crisis made apparent by the recent unfortunate events is a result of the rapid economic changes that the mainland is undergoing, which are having a negative effect on the character of the whole of society. Of course, this problem is not unique to the mainland. Under capitalism, the importance given to business and the worship of money and possessions have brought about changes in the values systems of many nations, Taiwan among them. The contentment with one's lot, the willingness to work hard and the spirit of cooperation with family and community that are characteristic of agrarian society are forgotten. What replaces these virtues is a ubiquitous enthusiasm for money. The faster and more easily that money is made, the better. But mainland China is huge, both geographically and in terms of population, and the rule of man often takes precedence over rule of law. This makes running the country quite difficult. Moreover, there is no free flow of information, so the public has little sense of the danger around it. Newspapers in the mainland report the on bright side of life, rather than its dark side, thereby giving society no impetus to reflect on itself. We wish to remind our citizens that as the ROC and the PRC have no official representation in each other's territories, they must be very careful when traveling to the mainland. We also hope the mainland will give more attention to the problems of public safety and the direction in which its society is headed. We hope that along with its economic liberalization, it will allow a freer flow of information. Ultimately, whether for the mainland Chinese themselves or overseas visitors in the mainland, what is most important is a safe and stable living environment. If this is not created, then negotiations mean nothing.

Modern societies are characterized by freedom and a high degree of exchange. They learn from these exchanges, which occur on all levels: political, cultural, academic and economic. On the one hand, it drives mutual economic expansion. On the other, it broadens people's horizons and increases their knowledge. Of course, it also has negative effects, including the sensationalization and vulgarization of mass culture and the idolization of popular entertainers. But on the whole, the trend of all aspects of Taiwanese society has been towards liberalization. Virtually every topic and every phenomenon that appears is discussed in great depth. A good example of this is the recent discussion generated by the addition of "heartwarming" segments to variety shows. Another is the heated debate on homosexuality in Taiwanese society. Both of these topics are addressed in this issue of Sinorama.

This month's cover story is another example of a successful exchange. It deals with how the exchange of talent and capital between Taiwan and Silicon Valley over a number of years has lead to the recent prosperity of Taiwan's IT industry and created a second "Taiwan miracle."

Exchange drives progress. We hope that exchange can be healthy, leading both our exchange partners and ourselves forward.