Beijing has ramped up diplomatic, economic and military pressure on Taipei to accept its “One China” point of view and it is driving the United States to better define what that means in Washington, experts on cross-straits relations said Thursday.
Speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington, D.C., think tank, Zhao Suisheng, a professor at the University of Denver, said in answer to a question that while peaceful unification still is official policy and mainstream thinking among the Chinese leadership and public, President Xi Jinping has in several recent speeches signaled that he wanted to see the matter resolved between 2021 and 2049, marking the centennials of the founding of the Communist Party and its successful revolution[.]
The issue “has brought two strong leaders [Xi and Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen] to stalemate.”
China insists on progress toward absorption. Stalemate is unacceptable.
Taiwan needs to arm up because they can hardly expect other people to care more about Taiwan's democracy and independence more than the Taiwanese do.
Although countries who could be next on the list as the most core interest of China like India, Japan, and Russia have a lot of incentive to help Taiwan resist the Chinese.
Taiwan needs to remember that China's charm offensive was just an effort to get Taiwan to submit without the expensive use of force and risk of escalation. When China accepts this smiling charm offensive has failed, the bared teeth remain.
The war option remains because the Chinese marines aren't the main tool for taking Taiwan, and don't let people fool you that invasion isn't possible.
