The Chinese Communist Party DoubleSpeak

"By 2025, China will bring the cost [of war] and attrition to its lowest."

"It has the capacity now, but it will not start a war easily, having to take many other things into consideration."

"For me as a military man, the urgency is right in front of me."

"[The situation with China] is the most severe in the 40 years since I've enlisted. [China would have] comprehensive [capabilities to invade Taiwan by 2025]."

Taiwan Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng

"I've spoken with Xi about Taiwan. We agree ... we'll abide by the Taiwan agreement."

"We made it clear that I don't think he should be doing anything other than abiding by the agreement."

U.S. President Joe Biden

Chinese President Xi Jinping  Andy Wong/AP

"Reunification of the nation must be realized, and will definitely be realized."

"Reunification through a peaceful manner is the most inline with the overall interests of the Chinese nation, including Taiwan compatriots."

"Aggression and hegemony are not in the blood of the Chinese people. Our people hope to successfully realize national development, but they also hope to see all peoples of the world leading happy and peaceful lives."

"China will remain a champion of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of the international order, and we will do our very best to make even greater contributions to humanity."

"Through courage and skill, we will overcome all major risks and challenges that may impede our path to national rejuvenation and resolutely safeguard our national sovereignty, security and development interests."

Chinese President Xi Jinping

Recent polls show many Taiwanese support the government's approach in "safeguarding national sovereignty"   AFP/Getty Images

 

Taiwan values its independence as a sovereign nation. Since its historic split with the mainland in 1949, its political path diverged wildly from that of China. Taiwan is a vibrant democracy with a multi-party system and fair and open elections. It wants no part of China's one-party Communist China system; a severe autocracy focused on population control and a towering ambition to lead a new world order. 

 

Taiwan knows very well what is in store for it, in plain sight beyond the threats, when Beijing shut down democracy in Hong Kong and absorbed the island state, breaking a contract designed around "one country, two systems".

Taiwan will not forego its system to be absorbed with China. And when President Xi spoke of the ideal transition of peaceful absorption what he really meant was that a steadfastly recalcitrant Taiwanese administration would do well to set aside its unwillingness to reunify and submit to China's all-encompassing ambition to recapture the breakaway island state and return it as a province of China.

For all of President Xi's faux optimism of a biddable Taiwan and the soft lullaby of a peaceful transition, he has issued statement after statement couched in semi-diplomatic language not quite concealing implicit threats. And beyond the implicit subtlety of language there is the indisputable violence of a different kind of threat with the deployment of Chinese war planes buzzing Taiwanese air space.

 

Where over the course of less than a week the People's Liberation Army dispatched fighter jets, bombers and airborne early warning aircraft no fewer than 149 times toward Taiwan latterly. One of the air manoeuvres involved 52 jets. Intimation of the first order. A warning that could not possibly be misinterpreted. 

 

The gamble that an unrelenting ferocious display of power hinting at the destruction that could be unleashed by an angry Beijing at Taiwan's stubborn rejection of reunification proposals would bring an abject Taiwan to its knees was destined to fail.

But the offer of a peaceful transition is there, cloaked in the grim threat of military invasion. President Xi's plan is laid out neatly enough. Reunification is the melding destiny of the two; it can be achieved without bloodshed if one of the party relinquishes its foolish separation of what is manifestly meant to be a unified whole. 

 

The alternative to an ongoing stalemate which has gone on too long, would be lives lost unnecessarily and the goal achieved regardless.

China's influence on the world stage transcends that of Taiwan by a wide margin; one the master bully, the other the self-respecting island state determined to go its own way; as at variance as a cultural, social, political entity from its former status as a geographically captured satellite of an Asian giant as it might be possible to imagine. 

 

Taiwan's reputation and dignity in its status as a breakaway province lacks the distinction of recognition by the international community thanks to China's manipulative thrust at the UN. Nations that recognize Taiwan's sovereign independence risk backlash from powerful China whose no-holds-barred retaliation of presumed insults have become legendary.

 

But Taiwan continues to assert its independence with its own display of military equipment in response to that of China's. Fighter jets scheduled to put on a National Day display of its own military prowess and readiness to respond to China's provocations. Under Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen Taiwan doesn't flinch. There will be no 'peaceful' reunification.

A man walks on an overpass in Taipei, Taiwan, decorated with Taiwanese flags earlier this week ahead of the country's National Day, which is celebrated on Sunday. (Ann Wang/Reuters)