The 2016 election has shaken up Taiwan’s political scene in a big way, as voters in a post-industrial society seek alternatives to the traditional parties and agendas. It foreshadows a deep transformation of Taiwanese politics, and the ramifications for cross-Strait relations will take time to evolve.

Ms. Tsai Ing-wen, 59, Taiwan's first female, newly-elected president, leads the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) which has traditionally advocated for a strong Taiwanese identity Her strength moving forward will be contingent on the economy improving, which ironically, may depend on her relationship and guanxi with Mainland China.

At first glance, China’s latest Hollywood deal, Wanda Group’s purchase of Legendary Entertainment, is a hardware-software match made in box-office heaven. However, creative success is quirky, subject to shifting tastes and capricious audience receptivity. More fundamentally, it is rooted in the exercise of free expression.

A “two-child policy” like the “one-child policy” of population controls remains a powerful symbol of China’s efforts to control its people. As China has found with its stock exchanges, human behavior – like market forces – cannot be fully controlled or predicted, even by the most powerful bureaucrats of Beijing.

Breaking the cycle of tension in the Taiwan Strait requires bold initiatives that mean abandoning deeply held desires in China, Taiwan, and the United States. Chinese leaders should perhaps at least think about the previously unthinkable: accepting an independent Taiwan—under very strict conditions.

Since the announcement of the new policy, Chinese feminists have been concerned that women aren’t really given full freedom to choose whether to have a second child – or any child at all – due to cultural and public policy reasons.

Chinese students face a sizable struggle adapting to the American learning environment and culture. As a way to attack these tough issues, Michigan State University's leadership has stepped up, seeking ways to build bridges that help connect its students and state with the broad world beyond its borders.

China’s goal of achieving “Xiao Kang” — or “moderately prosperous society” by 2020 aims to make sure that the remaining families still in poverty also step into the well-off society together with the rest of the nation. The author argues that outside world tends to look at China as if it is another traditional power and thus loses sight of what is really going on inside China. With poverty alleviation a continuing top priority, the uppermost imperative is for China to have a stable external environment so that it can attend to its own monumental challenges.

Economic development and consumer demand threaten a growing number of wildlife species. With China typically cited as the No. 1 consumer of ivory and other wildlife products, the government's actions and a consumer culture change will be critical to conserving the world's wildlife.

The debate about unauthorized immigrants and legal immigrants has until now mostly focused on their impact on US employment and economic growth. However, after the Paris terrorist attack, the issue has evolved into a national-security issue, stirring arguments about America’s core values as a presidential election looms.