For a long time, the United States has openly claimed that preserving the “status quo” across the Taiwan Strait is in its, and every stakeholder’s, best interest. In the name of safeguarding peace, Washington has issued persistent warnings against any party seeking to “unilaterally change the status quo”.

The alarm is being raised again as the island prepares to inaugurate a new team of leaders on Monday. But this time it is Beijing’s turn to say that to Washington. Because what the latter has been doing may effectively make the present state of affairs across the Taiwan Strait status quo ante. Each time when a representative of the Democratic Progressive Party becomes leader of the local authorities on the Chinese island, Beijing reiterates it will have no truck with independence........

© The Frontier Post (Editorial)