The Times looks at the recent deal by Taiwan’s Acer to buy U.S.-based Gateway through the lens of cross-straits relations:

The deal represents a double setback to Lenovo and to China, which has a bitter and longstanding dispute with Taiwan over the island’s independence. Roger Kay, the president of Endpoint Technologies, an American consultancy, said: “There is a political struggle at the highest level between China and Taiwan [relating to the autonomy of the latter] and, in that context, this is a blow to China. On a company level, the deal will see Acer dwarf Lenovo in Europe and pull ahead in the US. In Asia it won’t make much difference.” [Full text]