Taiwan and Texas
It is getting scary in China.

"We have never forsworn the use of force. No sovereign state can tolerate secession and every sovereign state has the right to use necessary means to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. ...The draft legislation provides that in the event that the "Taiwan independence" forces should act under any name or by any means to cause the fact of Taiwan's secession from China, or that major incidents entailing Taiwan's secession from China should occur, or that possibilities for a peaceful reunification should be completely exhausted, the state shall employ non-peaceful means and other necessary measures to protect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The draft legislation also provides that the State Council and the Central Military Commission are authorized to decide on and execute non-peaceful means and other necessary measures, and promptly report to the Standing Committee of the NPC." The NPC, after approving the law, will have given the military commanders the go ahead to act in the defense of the one-China policy based on the actions or words of the "Taiwan independence" forces. This weekend protectors in Kaohsiung took to the streets to express their concern over the pending legislation. Vice President Annette Lu said "Taiwan will face a serious military threat from China as the new law will provide Beijing with a legal basis for using force against the country." She noted that is China who is changing the status quo, not Taiwan. Lai I-Chung has a similar take. Little Red Blog

Taiwan is joined to China via a treaty. Remember, Texas is the only state joined to the United States via a treaty. It just sends a shiver up my back when I think about it for a while. It kind of drives home what the Taiwanese might be thinking while they read the morning headlines. Really, the only difference is the level of communication and ease of travel.
I met a girl from Taiwan (Kat's roommate at UT). Her sister had a pop song there in at the top of the charts. I remember they all spoke English better than I do and were extremely intelligent. So, this is another connection I have to Taiwan. Not much, but it counts.