ANALYSIS/As presidential race kicks off, China policy takes center stage

The People's Liberation Army's (PLA) large-scale joint exercises around Taiwan on Tuesday were accompanied by strident propaganda comparing itself to a mighty monkey warrior in Chinese mythology and Taiwan's president to a parasite, but experts say these messages were primarily meant for domestic audiences and lost on the people in Taiwan.

Following a Chinese government work report presented during the "Two Sessions" on Wednesday, experts said China is likely to take more "subtle" actions against Taiwan independence in 2025, while also pointing to the omission of the word "peace" from a key policy report.

The Taiwan-related section in China's government work report, presented during the "Two Sessions" on Wednesday, placed greater emphasis on the promotion of integration and unification of Taiwan with China, experts told CNA.