The choice of Nairobi for this messaging is no accident. Kenya is a strict adherent to the One-China principle, having codified and enforced the diplomatic stance repeatedly.

China has declared that its reunification with Taiwan is "unstoppable," using the launch of a historical photo exhibition in Nairobi to project its core geopolitical message directly onto Kenyan soil.

The exhibition, held at China Square in Karen and showcased by Xinhua’s Africa office, was timed to commemorate the 81st anniversary of Taiwan’s restoration and the upcoming Taiwan Restoration Day on October 25.

It was a display of cultural diplomacy, but the message was a hard-edged assertion of territorial sovereignty.