Last week in Xiamen, Chinese Politburo Standing Committee member Wang Yang presided over a routine conference on cross-strait relations and the relationship with the Taiwanese people. Wang observed that the current trends supported national reunification and national rejuvenation. Such meetings are part-and-parcel of the united front policy system, which helps the Chinese Communist Party consolidate its power and security by building control over non-party groups ranging from overseas ethnic Chinese to ethnic minorities and businesspersons. The routine makes it difficult to see change. In 2015, party General Secretary Xi Jinping began reinvigorating the united front system with new guidance, useful bureaucratic reforms, and an infusion of resources commensurate with the system's expanded mandate.
