this post was submitted on 20 Dec 2023
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[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 109 points 10 months ago (8 children)

That has literally been their policy since Mao. This is not news.

[–] ForgotAboutDre@lemmy.world 19 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Xi seems to see it as a objective he intends to accomplish in his life.

[–] themeatbridge@lemmy.world 34 points 10 months ago

So did his predecessors.

[–] SinningStromgald@lemmy.world 0 points 10 months ago (3 children)

First Taiwan then the rest of Asia that isn't India or Russia. They won't stop.

[–] deus@lemmy.world 12 points 10 months ago (2 children)

They'll never get Vietnam.

[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Well you're not wrong. But the last time they tried, it was the Vietnamese communists that stopped them. Of course that was on the ass end of 60 years of near continuous combat experience.

[–] rottingleaf@lemmy.zip 1 points 10 months ago

"Never" is always a wrong thing to say.

[–] DragonTypeWyvern 5 points 10 months ago

Oh, we're doing the Red Scare Dominoe Theory again?

It was so fun last time.

[–] rottingleaf@lemmy.zip 0 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I agree about India, but you seem to overestimate Russia.

The populations and economies are just too different.

If PRC decides it needs the Russian Far East and wants it militarily, it's going to take it. Maybe only the southern parts, they don't need all the empty frozen land. Maybe in 20 years, maybe in 40, maybe in 80 years.

And in the very long term, if China subdues Central Asia in any way, then it can get a piece of southern Siberia too, but that's like trying to predict WWII from Wallenstein's times.

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[–] markr@lemmy.world 34 points 10 months ago (2 children)

The PRC has always maintained that Taiwan is part of China and will be eventually incorporated back into PRC. (The ROC had the same position, but with respect to the mainland until 1991.) Taiwan was in fact part of China from 1683 until the Japanese started their imperial colonization of China and Korea, taking Taiwan in 1895. It would be news and a really big deal if the PRC stopped making that claim.

[–] zzzz@lemmy.world 16 points 10 months ago (1 children)

... will be eventually incorporated back into PRC

It has never been part of the PRC.

[–] markr@lemmy.world 7 points 10 months ago (1 children)

As far as the PRC is concerned Taiwan has always been part of the PRC. That was the point. The Taiwan policy of the PRC hasn’t changed.

[–] DragonTypeWyvern 2 points 10 months ago

It also depends on your personal definition of a "nation" and whether you consider the Chinese Civil War to be over.

Fun History Fact:

Truman wasn't initially willing to involve the US in defending Taiwan from the PRC finishing the job in 1949, but no one bothered to tell them that, and then the Korean War kicked off and he instituted what would become known as the "Containment" policy.

[–] HobbitFoot@thelemmy.club 4 points 10 months ago

Yeah. This is a dance that the USA and China have been doing for half a century. The agreed upon resolution has been that the USA doesn't declare that Taiwan is a sovereign nation and China doesn't invade in the near term.

[–] JTskulk@lemmy.world 33 points 10 months ago (5 children)

How will China convince all those Taiwanese people to vote for unification?

[–] Akasazh@feddit.nl 10 points 10 months ago

Take a look at Hong Kong

[–] cecinestpasunbot@lemmy.ml 9 points 10 months ago

I suspect China believes it can outpace the economic growth of Taiwan in the long run. If Taiwan’s business elites start to think they’re missing out on that growth by opposing reunification, then you’ll see a political shift in Taiwan.

[–] Asafum@feddit.nl 5 points 10 months ago

In Chinese: "it sure would be a shame if I happened to lose control of all these bullets and bombs around ~~my~~ your country."

[–] sebinspace@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

Bold of you to assume they’ll actually count the votes

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[–] CareHare@sh.itjust.works 23 points 10 months ago (1 children)

So that means Taiwan will become whole again?

[–] pimento64@sopuli.xyz 21 points 10 months ago (1 children)
[–] occhionaut@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago

Yo this shit fire 🔥

[–] assembly@lemmy.world 21 points 10 months ago (1 children)

At this point Taiwan has been independent for a good long time so it’s probably time to recognize that. This comes down to what the people in Taiwan want. I’m guessing they are good with the current situation as it keeps tensions down but sooner or later they are going to have to make a hard choice and the US needs to back them on it. Either they vote for reunification (unlikely but you never know) or they unequivocally identify as not-China and completely independent. In the second case the US and world should be prepared to back Taiwan. What will actually happen? Well, if I were Taiwan, I wouldn’t want to piss of a neighbor like that who is likely to go psycho when you officially breakup. It’s like ripping off a bandaid. I would be terrified of what China will do no matter who is baking me up. Taiwan will have to make a choice sooner or later but I completely understand their hesitation.

[–] Socsa@sh.itjust.works 5 points 10 months ago

No you don't get it people wanting to be free is just imperialist propaganda which can only be overcome by even bigger imperialism. They don't actually want to be free, they're just brainwashed.

[–] killeronthecorner@lemmy.world 11 points 10 months ago (13 children)

Let's make West Taiwan happen

[–] Oderus@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

You mean mainland Taiwan?

[–] thefartographer@lemm.ee 2 points 10 months ago

Ah, and now the China become the Chinese

I'm going back to my shame-corner...

[–] Oderus@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

You mean mainland Taiwan?

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[–] nucleative@lemmy.world 9 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (3 children)

The only way the current strategy of both sides changes is if a major factor changes, otherwise this cold standoff is the most stable place for both sides on the matter.

It could be that an election in Taiwan is won by a very pro-China party - a similar thing led to rapid changes in Hong Kong. Or an American leader changes tactics dramatically because theres no longer an incentive to support Taiwan.

Taiwan needs to be careful to guard against either situation happening.

Differing from many superpowers that came before the US, the US has a reputation of following through on what it says it will do long term, and the vast geopolitical diplomatic reach of the Americans means that for now, China would experience too high an economic cost to try and change this balance unilaterally.

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[–] badbytes@lemmy.world 6 points 10 months ago

How nice. So Taiwan leader can rule over all China. We don't need China anymore. So generous of Xi.

[–] Psythik@lemmy.world 4 points 10 months ago

What was Biden's response? I'm too lazy/apathetic/ADHD to read the article.

[–] xkforce@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

The US won't allow it given how much industry there is of strategic importance to the US.

[–] FMT99@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

China's very own Cato. Ceterum censeo...

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