It is impossible for Taiwan to benefit from normal relations with the mainland while the leader on the island continues to beat about the bush over acknowledging the 1992 Consensus on one China.

Recognizing the Consensus is not a complex problem that Tsai Ing-wen needs to scratch her head over in search of an answer. Yet that is what she has been doing rather than simply acknowledging it.

However, Tsai's prevaricating and political tricks, such as her phone call to US president-elect Donald Trump, indicate she is wishing to chart a course that will navigate the island on a safe route to both prosperity and "independence".