Little wonder that many senior members of Mr Blair's cabinet, including John Prescott, the deputy prime minister, Gordon Brown, the chancellor and Jack Straw, the home secretary, have let it be known that they would prefer to stick with the current first-past-the-post system.

ECONOMIST: The ghosts at Ashdown’s feast | The

On one side there is Vincent Siew, the new prime minister, Mr Lien (currently vice-president), many senior cabinet members and most of the media, who think that Taiwan's business interests in China are now so large that there are compelling reasons to talk.

ECONOMIST: Taiwan