splendid cynosure

To me, the word cynosure occurs in the phrase "the cynosure of all eyes," meaning the center of attraction. Perhaps all the rest of you know it as laser hair removal.
In any case, as we were having our election, a different kind of transfer of power was not-so-quietly going on in Taiwan. But as we were the cynosure of international attention, maybe you didn't notice. In their last election, Taiwanese voted for a president who would bring them closer to mainland China. This week, a Chinese negotiator came to Taiwan to make direct Taiwan-China flights and cargo shipping routine. There were protests. Policemen, journalists and protesters were hurt. This time, we didn't have to endure that.