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American lawmakers tend to be professional virtue signalers more than they are legislators. They enjoy posturing to procure political support for themselves to advance their careers and profile by making statements and pledges of action which are touted upon style, not substance. And these stunts are deliberately aimed at invoking drama and hysteria with a deficit of realism.

This is what happened when a delegation of U.S. lawmakers landed in Taiwan on November 9 on a military plane. The act marks the latest in a number of growing publicity acts pioneered by Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority, encouraged by the United States, in the bid to try and win support for independence and salami slice the one-China policy. And each action is becoming increasingly provocative.

In continuing to press China's redline on Taiwan and to ultimately challenge its national sovereignty and territorial integrity, the United States is engaging in destabilizing, destructive and detrimental behavior of which could potentially pose catastrophic consequences. China will not tolerate it and sit idly by. The mainland is resolute in its political will and resolve that the reunification of China will be completed and these childish provocations will not be sufficient to change the course of history. Those who are endorsing separatism on the island will ultimately be punished and remembered as the traitors they are.

With legislators, we've been here before. Who can forget how Josh Hawley and Marco Rubio actively courted leading rioter Joshua Wong in Hong Kong? Or how Ted Cruz headed into the Chinese city himself in the peak of the riots also to score political points?

But the key takeaway is that none of these stunts ultimately changed the outcome in the end. And neither will it be in Taiwan. The U.S. and others are engaging in these petty stunts because it believes it can expand Taiwan's political space by seeing how close it can get to the "redline" without actually crossing it as if to call Chinese mainland's bluff in the underlying assumption that Beijing will never seriously resort to force to reunify the country. This is wrong, such thinking overstates the impact petty provocations can have in changing the status quo, while concurrently understanding the enormous toolbox in the mainland which is prepared to weaponize in order to end the independence pipe-dream. The DPP and their separatist backers, will fail.

China revealed one of its tools last week. The new "anti-separatist" blacklist has added three leading independence voices amongst the DPP. The list means that anyone who supports these individuals is banned from doing business on the mainland, or cooperating with any Chinese entities. It is a deterrent which, as it expands, will gradually isolate independence advocates within the island itself as those with stakes in the mainland will distance themselves from them. Likewise, the list comes with the added penalty of lifelong criminal prosecution – which also compounds its deterrent effect and reminds those are advocating this outcome, as seen in Hong Kong, where their future lies.

But in addition, China is continuing to improve its combat readiness and capabilities to back up its will on the island with the threat of force. This is not the first option, yet the existence of such is necessary in order to make it clear there will only be one outcome. In response to the secessionist activities, the People's Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command conducted patrols near the Taiwan Straits. The spokesperson for the command said in a statement that the military operation at this time was a "necessary move" to safeguard the country's sovereignty.

The U.S. may be willing to touch down a plane on the island to posture, but is it ready to commit itself to a devastating war to save it? The island even admitted itself that without a physical invasion, the mainland is capable of waging a maritime embargo against it. The balance of power continues to shift every day and the will of the mainland is unwavering.

This makes the message clear: To the DPP, the U.S. cannot and will not save you; And to the U.S. itself, if you will not respect the one-China principle in good faith, you will eventually be made to respect it by force. The mainland is not bluffing when it comes to Taiwan and no matter how many opportunistic politicians attach themselves to the issue, they have neither the means nor the power to change the reunification of Taiwan with the mainland or halt the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. It's not a matter of if, but a question of when and how.

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