Has mainland China’s Taiwan policy entered a new phase?

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 Beijing has increasingly focused on outlining post-unification governance visions while ramping up messaging to the island’s public.

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.

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.