[late]

Since 1979, China had this policy, 'One Country, Two Systems. It was goofy, but it worked. Everybody pretended Taiwan wasn't independent, but of course it was.

Xi killed it.

What is likely to have happened here was that we needed to know how serious Xi was. Sending Pelosi was a test. She isn't part of the White House or the Dipcorp, so the administration had all options open about how to respond to whatever China did.

From our POV, Xi failed the test.

The strategic ambiguity of the past is gone. So now we have to build a new policy, and a new way to structure our forces in the region. You see, we challenged their credibility, and they may challenge ours. Now that we've pissed Xi, we need to be ready if he does something really stupid.

None of this was necessary. The smart move by xi would have been to ignore it, or downplay it.

But that's not where we are. A massive military exercise takes months of planning. They didn't just throw that together over the weekend. They were all ready, and just waiting for the right moment.

The administration was already talking about selling more weapons to Taiwan. That caught my attention when it happened, almost exactly a year ago.

It's a bit like chess.

[Patrickov]

Xi is just a bratty peasant from the backward areas of China.

Yes he's a victim of Mao, but putting him in this position means that Chinese are beyond redemption.

I won't give a damn if your country takes up the responsibility and conquer China for the world's sake. Just give me a quick one when the time comes.

They have to lose this chess.

[Rancid]

Agree, and this bizarre rewriting of words/terms that China supports staus quo on Taiwan by some of our pofoers here, is basically bullshit. These are a bunch of weasel fakers dickless bitches. We know who they are, and they know who they are.

China/Xi, clearly does not support status quo on Taiwan. Actions speak louder than words as they say.

[Skynet]

Taiwan shows that a better system is possible in the Chinese culture, therefore it is so dangerous for the CCP.

[Unthinking Majority]

China and the US are both trying to advance their own interests re: Taiwan.

Similarities to South Korea, Vietnam, and Ukraine.

So domino b theory also in play. This isn't just about Taiwan. How the US and China behave on Taiwan will show the other how they will behave in future kinds of disputes. A tough stance will act as a deterrent in other situations in the future.

[Rancid]

Taiwan shows that a better system is possible in the Chinese culture, therefore it is so dangerous for the CCP.

Indeed, but just about anything is a threat to the CCP, hence their authoritarian inclinations. EVen little old Hong Kong was a threat that made the CCP pee their pants.

[Unthinking Majority]

China has the potential to do great evil because as a dictatorship there's nobody to keep them in check. In the US at least the citizens can bounce a government that makes poor decisions. If Trump was China's leader he could be leader for life.

If China put immigrant kids in cages on its southern border or tortured Muslim terrorists Chinese citizens would be powerless to stop them.

The only weapon the world has to put a check on China is either sanctions or war, and both would be bad for everyone.

A government that's accountable to its people is at least accountable to someone.

[Rancid]

China has the potential to do great evil because as a dictatorship there's nobody to keep them in check. In the US at least the citizens can bounce a government that makes poor decisions. If Trump was China's leader he could be leader for life.

If China put immigrant kids in cages on its southern border or tortured Muslim terrorists Chinese citizens would be powerless to stop them.

The only weapon the world has to put a check on China is either sanctions or war, and both would be bad for everyone.

A government that's accountable to its people is at least accountable to someone.

Of course, and this is why Trump like Putin and other authoritarians.

Hopefully Trump dies.

[Fasces]

[unbalanced zealot]

I really like Taiwan. I've only ever spent time in Taipei but I like it a lot.

The only way I see Taiwan rejoining great China without conflict is if China transitioned to some form of federalist state, with Iran style paramount authority from the CCP.

BTW: the ushering out of Hu Jintao was full on. But in my opinion: f*** Hu Jintao (figuratively speaking) and Wen Jb for that matter. His time overseeing a corruption friendly capitalist free-for-all partly created some of the mess Xi inherited. Evergrande being an example of the get-rich-quick-ism of the HJt era.

[unbalanced zealot]

Just adding to this ... I was looking over Bloomberg data related to Chinese housing, and it really points to a mess born out of a speculative frenzy under HJt. This is a mess that Xi needs to clean up. That's probably what Xi said to him as he was being ushered out.

I think my 2 cents on China is it will be interesting to see how Xi's 3rd term plays out. At this point I'm looking at it from a glass half full perspective.