While in reality adjusting to an evolving situation both on Taiwan and in cross-Strait relations over the past few months, all parties have sought to portray their approaches as consistent and undisturbed by “some situations” that could have thrown things off course.

The Cairo Summit offered China a chance to present itself as an equal on the world stage. For Chiang Kai-shek it would lead to bitter disappointment.

Francis Fukuyama argues that, while neither the Chinese economic nor political models are sustainable in the long run, “We need to assume that China will remain on its current growth trajectory” and “cannot assume a deus ex machina solution to our present problem.” The first step, he says, entails building a multilateral framework for dealing with China's territorial claims.