From a Boston Globe editorial:
THERE ARE obvious reasons and not-so-obvious reasons to applaud the unprecedented visit to Beijing by the leader of Taiwan’s Nationalist Party, Lien Chan. It is certainly better for leaders on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to be settling their quarrels by political means rather than peremptory declarations or threats of force. Subtler effects of Lien’s overture may also become evident in political changes both on democratic Taiwan and on the Communist-dominated mainland.
See also “‘Most people believe it was shameful’” from the Guardian.