I wonder if China's leaders are more content with the status quo than they claim. Why wouldn't they be? The status quo is pretty alright for China.
If they let the rest of the world think that's something they really want, they can make their opponents struggle with them over it, make concessions, and pursue their real goals (growth, Belt&Road, etc.) in peace.
China has literally all the time in the world. If reunification is going to happen, they won't need a war to do it - Taiwan's economy is already tied to the mainland, and that'll only get stronger as the empire collapses. Yanks are frothing at the mouth for war and trying their best to escalate wherever they can, all China has to do to respond is... not engage.
I once saw someone claim that the CPC mostly say what they say about Taiwan to keep the more nationalist parts of their poulation happy and supportive and, as you say, are actually quite content with the status quo.
I have no idea if this holds any water or not so won't be arguing neither for or against it, your comment just happened to remind me of it. Maybe someone else with more knowledge on the subject will come along.
In the context it was brought up "nationalist" was basically shorthand for "people on the mainland who are pro-CPC and consider taking back Taiwan a matter of national pride"
I wonder if China’s leaders are more content with the status quo than they claim. Why wouldn’t they be? The status quo is pretty alright for China.
The status quo is soft reunification because every year, Taiwan's economy gets further intertwined with the Mainland's economy. At a certain point, Taiwan is going to be part of China one way or another even if the political realities don't completely line up with economy realities. Add to that close proximity (the ROC has territory within the coastline of the PRC) and near identical culture (no matter how much Taiwanese separatists want to deny it), and Taiwan being reunited with China is inevitable outside of some catastrophe that the US is gambling on happening.
If your economy is completely reliant on another country and you don't have a seat in the UN while that other country does, you aren't a sovereign polity. At best, you're an extremely autonomous region of that other country.
I wonder if China's leaders are more content with the status quo than they claim. Why wouldn't they be? The status quo is pretty alright for China.
If they let the rest of the world think that's something they really want, they can make their opponents struggle with them over it, make concessions, and pursue their real goals (growth, Belt&Road, etc.) in peace.
China has literally all the time in the world. If reunification is going to happen, they won't need a war to do it - Taiwan's economy is already tied to the mainland, and that'll only get stronger as the empire collapses. Yanks are frothing at the mouth for war and trying their best to escalate wherever they can, all China has to do to respond is... not engage.
I once saw someone claim that the CPC mostly say what they say about Taiwan to keep the more nationalist parts of their poulation happy and supportive and, as you say, are actually quite content with the status quo.
I have no idea if this holds any water or not so won't be arguing neither for or against it, your comment just happened to remind me of it. Maybe someone else with more knowledge on the subject will come along.
The "nationalist Chinese" were exiled to Taiwan. That's how the whole thing started.
There are many nationalists and liberals on the mainland, even within the party is far from purely (some would argue it's not even heavily) communist.
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In the context it was brought up "nationalist" was basically shorthand for "people on the mainland who are pro-CPC and consider taking back Taiwan a matter of national pride"
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Not me
The status quo is soft reunification because every year, Taiwan's economy gets further intertwined with the Mainland's economy. At a certain point, Taiwan is going to be part of China one way or another even if the political realities don't completely line up with economy realities. Add to that close proximity (the ROC has territory within the coastline of the PRC) and near identical culture (no matter how much Taiwanese separatists want to deny it), and Taiwan being reunited with China is inevitable outside of some catastrophe that the US is gambling on happening.
If your economy is completely reliant on another country and you don't have a seat in the UN while that other country does, you aren't a sovereign polity. At best, you're an extremely autonomous region of that other country.
Not sure I agree with that. Lots of countries have economies entangled with larger neighbors, yet are independent.
It is independence in name only.
So, for example, Ireland is not independent according to you?
No, it is not, and the rest of Europe isn't much more independent.