Opinion | China’s predictable squeezing of Taiwan hasn’t had the desired effect, and it may be time for Beijing to rethink its strategy as a US backlash gathers pace

Beijing’s pressure on Taiwan, following the 2016 elections, was to be expected. The Democratic Progressive Party, much despised in the corridors of Zhongnanhai, took both the presidency and majority in the Legislative Yuan, the latter for the first time in Taiwan’s democratic history.

It was also to be expected because Beijing insisted on a condition that the DPP and President Tsai Ing-wen could not possibly entertain: to declare that Taiwan is part of the People’s Republic of China. What was uncertain in May 2016 was what punitive measures Beijing would put in place.

Two years into Tsai’s presidency, the scope of Beijing’s moves against Taiwan has become more evident. Some were expected early on, for example, the exclusion of Taiwan from the World Health Organisation’s annual World Health Assembly or restricting tourists going to Taiwan. Increased activity by the People’s Liberation Army in the Taiwan Strait and around Taiwan belongs to the same category.

Other measures were less expected. In the second half of 2017, Chinese authorities began to demand that foreign corporations start to treat Taiwan explicitly as part of China.

The only airlines that did not fully comply were from the United States and Japan, removing references to Taiwan but not including a reference to China.