Happy Easter to those who celebrate. To those who observe Passover and Ramadan, greetings as well.

Bill asked a lot of questions about "the Taiwan issue", so...

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1) How should we evaluate the visits to the PRC of Macron and von der Leyen?

Unfavourably, in my judgement. Macron in particular came across as completely disingenuous, as the visit he made to China was obviously focused, for the most part, on securing contracts for major business firms in France. He and his advisors may tell themselves that they are doing God's work by facilitating "engagement", but I'll bet you dollars-to-doughnuts that Xi Jinping and company are laughing up their sleeves at his gormless arrogance.

They clearly want to sow the seeds of suspicion and mistrust amongst NATO member states.

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2) Will Xi soon call Ukraine President Zelensky?

It is possible, but what would it matter? Xi's government has repeatedly underscored its preference for a strong Russia and a chastened NATO.

Ultimately, Xi and company are playing (a very good) defensive game--and "our side" is helping them by scoring "own goals".

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3) Is the US fudging and hollowing its one-China policy [not one-China principle] out?

Nonsense, rubbish, crap... (choose your favoured dismissive epithet). The United States has a One-China policy that demands peaceful negotiations between both parties to the dispute over Taiwan's status (the government of China and the government in Taiwan).

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NB: Yes, the Shanghai Communique indicated that, at the time, people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait recognized that Taiwan was a part of China. So in that sense, one could say that the policy is not as it was... but surely we must recognize that today, a big majority in Taiwan do not see themselves as being a part of China.

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China under Xi Jinping is aggressively advancing the Communist Party's view, which is that there is NO room for discussion. To them, Taiwan MUST be subsumed by China (and the CPC must be the ones who do it).

In other words, Xi Jinping's government is "hollowing and fudging" by ignoring what was conveyed in the Three Communiques and other official statements agreed by their predecessors.

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I understand that for decades the United States, Canada and most other states did fudge, but that fudging was all about selling to and investing in China (on the theory, peddled in part by the self-interested beneficiaries of all that selling to and investing in) that engagement would lead to peaceful political change in China, as well as an evolved (and improved) sensibility on the issue of Taiwan.

But that sentiment has long since died, at least among most of us who make it their business to study and engage China. What's also changed is China's willingness to indulge "strategic patience" vis-a-vis Taiwan (or, rather, the lack thereof).

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All that suggests that, once the elections (presidential and legislative) are over next year, we could be into the "end game".

Although none can tell who will win (the election campaign is just getting under way, as the duelling visits of Tsai Ing-wen and Ma Ying-jeou attest), it seems clear that the Cross-Strait issue will be at the core of the DPP and KMT platforms.

I worry that, even with a KMT president (and a KMT majority in the Legislative Yuan), Xi and company will be unable to convince people in Taiwan to accept the terms the CPC wants to impose on them.

And I certainly would not judge people in Taiwan for being wary--they have every reason not to trust the present regime in Beijing.