For instance, the four-day meeting scheduled to start in Beijing on June 11 would be totally unnecessary if Hu were fully authorized by the government. The SEF, in addition, is required to adhere to a ritual of lower-level talks, an initialing by middle-level representatives and the signing of an agreement by its chairman on the arrangements to begin direct charter flights across the strait on weekends on July 4, or to let Chinese tourists to visit Taiwan, either at the same time or shortly thereafter.

The agreement then has to be submitted to the MAC for approval to go into force rather than to the Legislative Yuan for ratification. This long official red tape would have made it impossible to get things started according to President Ma’s schedule, if the head of the Chinese Communist Party had refused to let himself be persuaded by his Kuomintang opposite number to go along at once.

The two-channel negotiation worked perfectly this time. That does not necessarily mean it will work just as well the next time. As a matter of fact, Hu gave the green light to the resumption of SEF-ARATS dialogue to congratulate Taiwan’s new leadership for ousting the “separatist” government of the Democratic Progressive Party.

He even extended a new olive branch by offering to consider a way to let Taiwan join the World Health Organization or its decision-making body, the World Health Assembly, in a mutually agreeable capacity. But Hu may harden his stand and insist on his “one China” principle as soon as he sees cross-strait relations not developing the way he wants. Remember Hu promised Lien to do so in 2005, but Taiwan has since been barred from that U.N.-affiliated organization.

Wu is said to have proposed a peace forum between the Kuomintang and the Chinese Communist Party to find a new modus vivendi across the strait. How Hu is going to respond is unknown, but one can safely say if Lien Chan were asked to head it, the Chinese Communist leader would agree.

Chinese on both sides of the strait are tough negotiators; but they, unlike cool-headed Americans or British or Germans, value and cherish personal relationships — call it friendship or camaraderie, if you will. Chinese would go to great lengths to iron out all differences to bring negotiations to a success, if negotiators have that relationship. Lien and Hu have it.

The best thing Taiwan may do is have Wu to preside over the economic forum and to let Lien take care of the peace forum. Their cross-strait dialogue still remains on the intra-party level, which won’t supersede the first channel of communication between Taiwan and China. Like SEF chairman P.K. Chiang, neither Lien nor Wu will mind working in their respective capacities for President Ma to usher in a win-win future for the Chinese nation.

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