TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The chief political strategist of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Wang Huning (王滬寧), has been tapped by Xi Jinping (習近平) to craft a new unification policy for Taiwan, according to a source within the party.

With the help of Wang’s expertise in political theory, Xi is expected to announce a new policy towards Taiwan within the coming months. The move could signal an end to the era of the “one country, two systems” proposal championed by Beijing for decades.

According to an analysis published by Nikkei, the CCP’s own actions in Hong Kong, and the reaction of Taiwanese citizens, has made the idea of “one country, two systems” an untenable policy proposal. As a result, Xi and Wang must now plot a new course for cross-strait relations.

Wang is a member of the seven-man Standing Committee of the Politburo and is widely considered to be the CCP’s spymaster and chief propagandist. He has served in high-profile offices under three different party secretaries-general, which is a rare accomplishment, given the nature of the CCP’s internal politics.

Following Xi’s consolidation of power at last year’s National Party Congress, many analysts expected him to turn his attention to Taiwan. However, mass protests against China’s zero-COVID policy in November, and the subsequent country-wide COVID outbreak quickly demanded the government’s attention and resources.

Now, at the start of 2023, the CCP is reportedly poised to make Taiwan a policy priority. Chinese scholars like Chen Xiancai (陳先才), the director of the Center of Taiwan Studies at Xiamen University, take a pessimistic view that diplomacy will not prevail in cross-strait relations in 2023.

Chen says Beijing can be expected to step up efforts to integrate Taiwan, and that conflict is more than likely to increase, becoming “more severe” in the year ahead, reported UDN. Chen is one of many who have adopted the fatalistic view that conflict with the U.S. over Taiwan is unavoidable.

While it is unclear what Wang’s approach to cross-strait relations might entail, it is likely that Beijing is under increasing pressure to articulate a new policy as soon as possible.

In Taiwan, campaigning for the 2024 presidential election is about to begin in earnest and Beijing will likely want to consider its rhetoric concerning Taiwan very carefully ahead of the election.

Further, with an upcoming visit from U.S. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy to Taipei expected for April, Chinese citizens will likely demand a clear declaration from Beijing on the issue. Following Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in late 2022, a second visit from a sitting U.S. Speaker in less than a year will likely be an especially sensitive matter.

If Beijing wants to pursue a diplomatic course with Taiwan, rather than continue on its path of persistent military provocation, then it will be incumbent on the CCP to outline such a policy course in the near future.

Many hope Beijing’s new policy envisioned by Wang will prioritize communication and cooperation over aggression and exclusion.