Although no clear timeline has been set by Beijing, an invasion of Taiwan is not a matter of ‘if,’ says political analyst-blogger Confidential Reporter at China Confidential, but when:

“Notice we said ‘when,’ not if, because it is becoming increasingly clear that unless Taipei eventually, well, surrenders to Beijing, there will be a war in the Taiwan Strait.

“This is not inside information. On the contrary–officials in Beijing are disturbingly open about their government's intention to finally finish off a bitter rival, whose de facto independence since 1949 has been seen as a humiliating, festering sore on the hide of an awakening dragon.”