At this point, most everyone has accepted the reality that China will attempt to invade Taiwan - and sooner rather than later.
The same was true with Ukraine, where we saw Vladimir Putin telegraph his intentions for years before finally acting.
Russia was never going to let Ukraine - and especially Crimea - escape its clutches.
Not without a fight, anyway.
The same is true of Taiwan.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has already anointed himself "president for life," placing himself as the fulcrum of China's transition into the world's preeminent superpower.
Like his fellow dictator in Russia, Xi will seek to further burnish his legacy as a conqueror - one who reclaims lost lands and restores their empire to its former glory.
And last week, we got another glance at what that might look like.
Agitated by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen's trip to Washington where she met congressional leaders, including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, China staged another mock invasion of her homeland.
For three days, China conducted live-fire drills around Taiwan, rehearsing a blockade of the island that would preclude the United States from intervening in its seizure.
The exercises simulated sealing off the island to block sea and air traffic, with Taiwan reporting more than 200 flights through its vicinity by Chinese warplanes.
At the drill's conclusion, China's military declared that it was "ready to fight."
Additionally, Beijing announced it would now conduct "on-site inspections" of cargo ships in the Taiwan Strait as part of a patrol exercise - an escalation that could ensnare foreign vessels in one of the world's busiest shipping thruways.
Of course, the escalation isn't entirely one-sided.
Just as China's show of force concluded, the United States began a joint military exercise with the Philippines.
The so-called Balikatan Exercise began on April 11 and is scheduled to last for 17 days, with more than 17,000 troops taking part.
It's the largest military drill the two countries have ever coordinated.