All eyes are on how Beijing’s “Chinese dream” of eventual Taiwan reunification will unfold at a time when the leader of the United States – Taipei’s top international backer – appears less likely to intervene in case of a cross-strait conflict. In the first of a three-part series, Amber Wang looks at how recent moves signal a recalibration of Beijing’s Taiwan policy – outlining post-unity governance visions, ramping up messaging to the island’s public and scaling back military intimidation.
Orbiting high above the Earth, Jilin-1, a commercial satellite operated by a mainland Chinese company, recently captured crystal-clear images of Taiwan’s streets, rivers and mountains. The images included Hsinchu Science Park, home to the world-leading chip clusters on the island’s west coast.
The photos went viral on Chinese social media, with Beijing hailing them as a view of “home” while reiterating that “every inch” of Taiwan belonged to mainland China.
Behind the public excitement over Taiwan street views is a fresh push by Beijing on several policy fronts around a goal it has pursued for decades – reunification with the self-ruled island. The drive has recently gained fresh momentum, fuelling heightened expectations among people on the mainland.
Beijing has rolled out several landmark cultural events related to Taiwan in recent months.
These include the first state-supervised television drama about the history of communist spies in Taiwan; the first national commemoration day related to Taiwan; and the unveiling of fresh policy slogans to envision governance in Taiwan following reunification.
Xi’s National Day speech warns against Taiwan independence
Xi’s National Day speech warns against Taiwan independence
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