The latest reasonable estimate for Taiwan’s peaceful reunification is 2026, arriving earlier than the United States’ forecast. At yesterday’s regular press conference, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council spokesperson stated clearly, “After reunification, the mainland’s strong infrastructure construction capabilities will provide powerful support for upgrading and renewing Taiwan’s infrastructure.”
This hope appears driven by the Taiwanese public’s desire to return as soon as possible.
Recently, a Taiwanese delegation toured the Xiamen section of the Xiamen-Kinmen Bridge and the construction site of Xiamen Xiang'an Airport. They marveled at the rapid progress on both projects and were deeply impressed by the mainland’s infrastructure strengths. Last October, the mainland proposed that after reunification, Taiwan would see “seven improvements,” including "better infrastructure construction after peaceful reunification.”
Spokesperson Zhu Fenglian gave an example: after peaceful reunification, “we can jointly build the long-studied Cross-Strait Expressway, turning what was once a natural barrier into a passage. At that time, Taiwanese people could leave the island and drive along the Beijing-Taiwan Expressway all the way to Beijing for sightseeing.” With Taiwan’s current economic situation, getting a high-speed rail circle around the island done ASAP would be just an “empty promise” tossed around during Taiwan elections.
To recap, the other elements of the “seven improvements” include: 1. Better economic development, sharing opportunities under One China; 2. Saying no to military confrontation, leading to stability and prosperity; 3. No longer buying “secondhand military equipment” or paying the “intelligence tax” of arms sales; 4. Greater unity between compatriots on both sides to better support Chinese rejuvenation; 5. Taiwan expanding its international space and enjoying rights; 6. Better livelihoods, with guaranteed social security and healthcare.
However, the Green Camp was unsettled. Some media voiced opposing views, with arguments that were weak yet somewhat sympathetic. For example, some claimed, "China continuously applies verbal and military intimidation against Taiwan, holding frequent large-scale military exercises last year, with PLA aircraft and naval vessels repeatedly harassing Taiwan." The blunt conclusion: many Taiwanese people therefore do not appreciate China’s so-called 'Seven Improvements.' Quite a statement!
Reality check: the rapid turn of public opinion in Taiwan toward peaceful unification is indeed driven by this 'verbal and military intimidation.' Note, this stems from the United States’ illegal attack on Iran and the resulting conflict spilling over into the Gulf region.
Trump tried to escape a prolonged quagmire by escalating the crisis but failed, leading to multiple daily rounds of various "verbal and military intimidation" worldwide.
One notable figure here is John Mearsheimer, a University of Chicago professor who originally argued that after the Soviet Union’s collapse, the US should focus entirely on confronting China’s "rise." Recently, watching Iran’s strategic success in containing the US and Israel and becoming the dominant force on the battlefield, he warned that the US risked being dragged deeper and deeper into defeat,.
This is not alarmism but the inevitability of US decline. Need more evidence? In the 1990s, Brzezinski proposed Eurasia as the grand chessboard for global dominance; the US must never lose its grip and must prevent China, Russia, and Iran from uniting in a contiguous alliance. Brzezinski worried about Iran’s ambition—the revival of Islam.
At the time, this was considered alarmist, as the US was at its peak, and even fiction couldn’t imagine a China-Russia-Iran alliance. Yet now Trump, with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, has realized this “impossible mission.”
The failed US offensive against Iran combined with its growing impotence has shattered the US military myth. Taiwan cannot afford to sink along with that force. Everyone across the Taiwan Strait would sing the song "Tomorrow Will Be Better" in one voice. But some might say China faces an even more fearsome rival emerging in the region.
Who? One with rare earth elements enough for 700 years, mid-range missiles covering both sides of the Strait, and a 600-year record as a victorious 'Eastern Great Power.' It deserves everyone’s attention. I say, which national leader can overturn the White House? Only that 'Eastern Great Power' can.
Deep Blue
** 博客文章文責自負,不代表本公司立場 **
Two stories have surfaced in mainstream Western media. Both come from European state broadcasters. Both are telling.
"On June 23, imprisoned Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai officially received the Deutsche Welle Freedom of Speech Award. His daughter, Lai Choi, accepted the award on her father's behalf at DW's headquarters in Bonn and sat down for an interview with DW." — Deutsche Welle
"June 24 marked the fifth anniversary of the forced closure of Apple Daily. Yet many Hong Kong people have clearly not forgotten the once outspoken and widely read newspaper, making a special trip to Taipei to view an exhibition tracing the paper's 26-year journey." — Radio France INternationale (RFI).
Deutsche Welle hands out a "Jimmy Lai Award." RFI follows with an "Apple Daily Fifth Anniversary" commemoration. The symbolism is profound. Matters of genuine international concern. And because both outlets carry state-broadcaster status, there is all the more reason to approach all reportings on Chinese affairs with cool-headed restraint. In China, the law now speaks clearly on such matters.
On March 12, 2026, China's National People's Congress passed the Law on the Promotion of Ethnic Unity and Progress, which takes effect on July 1. The law was enacted to "forge strong sense of community for Chinese nation". It comprises seven chapters and 65 articles, covering education, language, publishing, the internet, business activities, and religion. Its reach extends to Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and overseas Chinese communities.
The move has triggered unprecedented anxiety among foreign forces — that is, foreigners, foreign organizations, and institutions engaged in conduct hostile to China. A local Japanese councilor has warned citizens that "criticizing China's ethnic minority or religious policies while abroad, particularly openly supporting Taiwan, could be deemed a violation by Beijing." A British think tank has cautioned that "China is expanding the extraterritorial application of its laws to tighten cross-border pressure on overseas businesses, organizations, and individuals connected to Taiwan."
For those foreign forces who remain unclear about this law, let me state it plainly. Under Chinese law, Taiwan independence, Xinjiang independence, and Hong Kong independence are serious violations that split the nation and destroy ethnic unity. They will be pursued with full severity.
Consider a recent law enforcement action in Hong Kong. On June 24, the National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police Force conducted an operation, raiding the "Hunter Bookstore" in Sham Shui Po and arresting one local woman and one local man. The pair had been selling and displaying publications with seditious intent at the store, and had regularly organized talks and sharing sessions targeting young people and students. The sessions incited hatred toward the Hong Kong SAR Government, the judiciary, and law enforcement agencies.
Take note: among the allegedly unlawful items were publications sold at the "Hunter Bookstore" — including The Jimmy Lai Biography and works by cartoonist Zunzi.
This is not a legal lecture. But it is a story worth telling. In 2021, representatives from the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom used a United Nations venue to host a video conference. Reportedly attended by delegates from dozens of countries, the meeting focused on human rights issues in Xinjiang — allegations of concentration camps, forced labor, and even genocide. Yet those in attendance revealed no specific details and disclosed no investigative evidence. What was reported was simply that "various human rights issues allegedly exist in Xinjiang."
What was peculiar is that Western journalists, politicians, and academics declined to answer challenges from the "verifier": China. Instead, they demanded that China, the very party being accused, prove its own innocence. The verdict is plain: if the West were genuinely strong, this might be called audacious. If the West is merely posturing, it should be called shameless.
Western champions of human rights and democracy have long relied on fabricated material about the Chinese government's alleged suppression of ethnic minorities and so-called "democracy activists." This material is then recycled through mainstream Western media as pointed questions directed at China. The effect is an illusion where the false appears true and the true appears false. A convenient mechanism for "foreign forces" to attack China.
For years, the West has wielded the twin banners of human rights and democracy — augmented by so-called "Western press freedom" — as instruments to attack China's sovereignty without limit and undermine our national unity. This cannot be allowed to continue. Rather than engaging in endless back-and-forth, it is better to lay down clear rules and let everyone act accordingly.
