One of the annual rituals performed at the United Nations General Assembly in New York is off the programme this year. For the first time since 1993, Taiwan is not to ask its little band of 23 diplomatic partners to propose it for un membership. This is not because Taiwan has suddenly given up: it has always known membership was out of the question, since China refuses to recognise its statehood. Rather, Taiwan's new approach typifies the effort that has marked the 16-month tenure of President Ma Ying-jeou: to ease tensions with China without dashing all hopes for greater international recognition.
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