Mainland China and Taiwan are putting aside their tense history to work together closely on a joint language report about their respective dialects of the Chinese language, according to a state- ment by the PRC’s Ministry of Education. The report will explore how the language has evolved since it crossed the Taiwan Strait and the variations that persist today.
The plan is that by the end of the year, both sides of the Strait will collaborate to link websites and share network resources, foster cross-Strait exchange, and forge relationships among young people to promote the Chinese-language classics.
Despite decades of estrangement following civil war in the 1940s, surveys show that 90% of the dialects are identical.
The two sides have previously worked together on compiling Chinese-language reference books and websites. The new report will be another example of deepening cross-Strait cultural ties that have become more important in recent years.
