China continues to build up pressure on Taiwan in various ways as part of its attempts to bring back into the fold what it considers a renegade province. What China should reckon with is that a majority of Taiwanese don't want that: In a June poll, 58 percent called for maintaining the status quo, 24 percent for the island's independence and 12 percent for reunification.

The more pressure China applies, the more antipathy people in Taiwan will have toward the mainland. A unilateral push for reunification will hurt China's image in the international community. Respecting the will of the Taiwanese, Beijing should be ready to hold dialogue with Taipei unconditionally for establishing peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

After the Democratic Progressive Party's Tsai Ing-wen became president of Taiwan in May 2016, Beijing suspended an official dialogue mechanism with Taipei, which had been established by the previous Kuomintang-led government. Tsai rejects China's demand that she accept a "1992 Consensus" between China and Taiwan, which upholds the "One China" principle although it leaves room for different interpretation by both sides.