Beijing Chaoyang Light, Arts Festivals Open

Two articles examine Beijing’s pressure and strategic calculations in its relationship with Taiwan and the United States. One argues that annexing Taiwan without a negotiated successor authority could trigger profound administrative and legal upheaval, with outcomes ranging from gradual institutional absorption to more abrupt coercive control. The other describes the latest U.S.-China summit as producing limited trade concessions and a temporary truce extension, with its main achievement being a pause in escalation; it says Beijing may use that time to address domestic economic strains while Washington faces a shorter political timetable.