When President Trump returned from his Beijing summit in May, he said the situation with Taiwan should “stay the way it is.” As Xi Jinping arrives at the White House on Sept. 24 for another summit, expect more reassurance, talk of stability and an emphasis on mutual respect. Commentators will grade the meeting on whether both sides recommit to the status quo.
But “stay the way it is” assumes China’s posture in the Taiwan Strait hasn’t much changed. This is wrong. Recent history shows Beijing is on the march.