Ma, a former mayor of Taipei, has pledged to allow mainland tourists to visit Taiwan, and hopes to reinstate direct transportation, commerce and postal links that were cut off six decades ago.

The New York Times adds:

Mr. Ma, a Harvard-trained lawyer, has said Taiwan needs a strong military and close ties with the United States to counter the military threat from China. But he favors avoiding confrontation with Beijing while allowing closer economic ties.

I can’t help but think that America’s relevance in Asia just took another tumble.