China Taiwan Studies, a quarterly English-language academic journal focusing on cross-Strait relations, was launched on Monday, becoming the first of its kind on the Chinese mainland and aiming to help the international community better understand the Taiwan question.

The Taiwan Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences held a launch ceremony in Beijing, with the inaugural issue featuring articles by scholars from both the mainland and Taiwan.

Wang Changlin, vice-president of CASS, said the launch was timely against the backdrop of cross-Strait relations facing a choice between peace and war, and between prosperity and decline.