With this year's British handover of Hong Kong to China, and the scheduled return of the Portuguese colony of Macau to China in 1999, all eyes in Asia turn toward Taiwan -- the last remaining Chinese territory in the region not under the control of Beijing.

The island's Nationalist government fled the Chinese mainland following its defeat to Communist forces in 1949.

Beijing considers Taiwan to be a renegade province, one that will eventually be "reunified with the motherland."

Taipei officially supports the concept of reunification as well, but not under communism and not until economic parity is reached between the island and the mainland. Taiwan's president, Lee Tung-hui, has stressed that "Taiwan is not Hong Kong."

Indirect economic ties between China and Taiwan have grown in recent years, and direct ties have been initiated. Hong Kong has served as a conduit for billions of dollars in trade between Taipei and Beijing

But Beijing is also trying to isolate Taiwan internationally.

China says countries that do not have diplomatic relations with Beijing will not be allowed to maintain consulates in Hong Kong after July 1. This action creates a dilemma for the approximately 30 nations that still have official ties with the Taipei government. Neither Beijing nor Taipei allow a country to have diplomatic relations with both.

Hong Kong is also Taiwan's second-largest export market -- only the United States buys more products from Taiwan. And there are fears in Taipei that China might manipulate its control over Hong Kong to make Taiwan economically dependent on the mainland.

Like a feuding family, the relationship between China and Taiwan runs to extremes. China's proclamations of brotherhood and friendship coincide with its elaborate and highly public military exercises near Taiwan. And now that Hong Kong is being brought back into the fold by Beijing, will China's attentions become even more focused on its obstinate relation across the Taiwan Strait?