An op-ed in the Turkish Hurriyet suggested two repercussions: an impact on the presidential election; and an effect to the United Nations-led direct reunification talks.

The request followed the first week of formal reunification talks between President Glafcos Clerides and Rauf Denktash, the Turkish Cypriot leader.

The Chinese are worried by Taiwan's increasingly separate identity and have warned that not only a declaration of independence, but also indefinite stalling of reunification talks could lead to war.

Poland has also asked to be included in reunification talks between the Germanys and the four World War II Allied powers when the question of borders is raised.

Now, with a new campaign under way, Beijing is again trying to intimidate Taiwanese voters and push the island's next leaders into early reunification talks on the mainland's terms.

Kofi Annan, the first United Nations secretary general to visit Cyprus in 23 years, tried to jump-start flagging reunification talks between the rival Greek and Turkish communities.

The paper's warning against delaying reunification talks is, at least, a sign of China's growing impatience with Taiwan.

On 21 April 2012, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said "there is not enough progress on core issues of reunification talks for calling an international conference".

Pyongyang sent him there as a signal to Seoul: go to the reunification talks with deep pockets and a giving heart, or you'll be staring across a rifle at him.

The result of today's explosion may not just be war, but the end of reunification talks for our lifetime.