The resident, Guo Zhiyong, a 35-year-old man who described himself as a “political researcher,” was apprehended by the Taiwanese Coast Guard on Wednesday morning after reaching the outlying Taiwanese island of Kinmen, said an official, Pu Yu-lin.
Mr. Guo, who told the authorities he comes from the far west region of Xinjiang, set off from coastal Fujian Province on a flotation device made from bamboo and Styrofoam. Mr. Pu said officials had been tracking his progress by radar.
After his arrest, he told Taiwanese reporters that he was inspired to make the perilous journey by Taiwan’s presidential race, which pits the incumbent Ma Ying-jeou against two opponents. “I want to see your elections, with campaign flags flying all over the place,” he said.
He was sent back. The article says he was disillusioned by his capture:
Moments before he was led to a waiting police vehicle, he was asked what he thought about Taiwan’s democracy.
“It’s horrible,” he said.
He's going back to China. The man just proved he isn't stupid. What else could he say?
Despite my focus on the military balance in the Taiwan Strait, in theory the balance could tip so far in China's favor that Taiwan would have to hope America can liberate them rather than help them fend off the invasion. Taiwan has plenty to be grateful for on the military side, but they are still pretty darned close to China.
Given that reality of geography and relative size, eventually Taiwan will either need war-levels of defense spending and mobilization, American forces on the island as a tripwire, survivable nuclear weapons, or a China that doesn't want Taiwan in the first place.
One line of strategy should be to multiply the number of Mr. Guos in China who see Taiwanese democracy as something China should have. At some point, Taiwan needs to stop trying to avoid losing and try to win.
