A Taiwanese professor's push for Beijing's unification model has drawn a rare endorsement from China and a sharp rejection from Taipei, sharpening the island's political divide.

• A Changhua Normal University associate professor, Li Chi-tse, published three articles on a Chinese social media account arguing Taiwan should study a "peace and self-rule agreement" with Beijing.
• China's Taiwan Affairs Office took the unusual step of praising a Taiwanese academic by name, calling unification an unstoppable historical trend and not a question Taiwan gets to opt out of.
• Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council hit back, saying the plan leaves no room for the Republic of China to exist and that China's political consultation system is window dressing for one-party rule.
• Polls in Taiwan have long shown close to 80% of people reject "one country, two systems."
• Pro-Beijing media in Taiwan quickly amplified the articles, showing how the argument travels.

Outlook: Expect Beijing to keep spotlighting sympathetic voices inside Taiwan while Taipei treats the proposal as non-negotiable.