Expo 2010: A tale of two cities

Shanghai and Taipei can learn from each other, as activities surrounding the fair continue to draw them closer

There is no doubt that Expo 2010, which opens May 1 in Shanghai, will draw the world closer around China, once known as the Middle Kingdom. Now Shanghai is taking center stage on the world arena with a spectacular show that has attracted the participation of 242 countries, regions and international organizations, including Taiwan.

Among other things, Shanghai is expected to see its fledgling ties with Taipei grow and prosper after a hiatus of six decades, during which exchanges were limited due to political separation. But times change, and blood is thicker than water. The "shallow strait" described by Yu Kuang-chung, Taiwan's preeminent poet, will no longer sever the umbilical cord connecting the two sides.