Since Ma Ying-jeou of the Kuomintang (KMT) won a landslide victory in the 2008 presidential election, relations between Taiwan and the Communist leadership in Beijing have arguably seen more advancement than Ma's predecessors managed in eight decades. President Ma has made significant progress toward his most important goals. First, he has stabilized cross-strait relations. The tension that previously gripped Taiwan and China has abated, high-level visits have become routine, and the two sides are engaged in energetic negotiations on a wide range of issues. (Source: Teri Schure, Worldpress.org, Apr 9, 2010).