Wrong Message at the Wrong Time

* In his speech commemorating the 40th anniversary of the "Message to Compatriots in Taiwan," Chinese President Xi Jin-ping clearly shifted future policy emphasis from the "prevention of dejure independence" to "advocation of unification" under the "one country, two systems" formula. Though Xi left the door open for further discussions if, and when, the above formula is applied to Taiwan, Beijing is clearly confident that the time is ripe for political talks.
* At a time when the foundation of bilateral trust is, at best, fragile, there is little, if any, room for political discussion of a permanent cross-Strait settlement within Taiwan. People would welcome unobstructed exchanges with China at all levels, entertain mainland visitors and tourists, and maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Besides, there has never been much appeal for "one country, two systems" formula in Taiwan. There is no urgency on the part of the DPP administration to engage Beijing in political discussions, and it certainly is not a priority for the ordinary people who are most concerned of making ends meet. Therefore, this is not the message preferred by most in Taiwan.
* On the other hand, 2019 is the start of Taiwan's presidential and legislative campaign, with the vote scheduled for spring 2020. While cross-Strait relations will definitely be a key topic, no presidential candidate from either the ruling DPP or the opposition KMT would support the "one country, two systems" scheme since overwhelming majority of Taiwanese people oppose it. Seeing what's been happening in Hong Kong and Macau where civil liberty is severely restricted in recent years, it's no surprise that the level of acceptance has been declining steadily in Taiwan. As such, the timing is off also.
* Xi's speech indicated the rising level of confidence Beijing has over cross-Strait matters. It also exposed the underlying fear that Taiwan is drifting further apart from China amidst heightened sense of Taiwanese identity, particularly among those 35 and under. However, Beijing believes it has enough leverage to inch forward with political talks.
* The strategy could backfire as people are becoming more apprehensive of unification. The local sentiment is more on doing business,  not forming a permanent union, with China. Most people believe that through non-political exchanges, cross-Strait mutual trust can accumulate and understanding improved. There are no shortcuts, but Beijing doesn't seem to understand that.