TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) – China’s military sent 103 warplanes toward Taiwan in a 24-hour period in what the island’s defense ministry said Monday was a daily record in recent times.

  • Mateoto@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I understand your point, but I respectfully disagree. An internal strife alone doesn’t necessarily lead to military action.

    A military conflict involving Taiwan would have global implications, affecting regional stability and the world economy. Xi is fully aware of that and knows that his political power extends only as far as his economy remains stable. Looking at the last BRICS meeting, we see that China is eager to compensate for any economic embargoes with a stable structure and demand from its partners – which, as of today, is still a work in progress.

    Furthermore, the Ukrainian war has shown, the West can swiftly mitigate major impacts on its economy (see Germany moving completely away from gas exports from Russia). China is aware of that too and knows that while devastating, the west will work closely together to compensate such an economic distaster and cut ties with China completly.

    While the current situation requires vigilance and preparation for the worst, we can at least see that China remains in absolute need of its Western allies, and a military intervention would be a complete disaster, even for Xi.

    That’s likely why he’s consolidating power by eliminating political opponents and critics, but history has shown that being blinded by power, as Putin is in the case of Ukraine, leads to devastation.

    • Anonbal185@aussie.zone
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      1 year ago

      It’s not even internal strife. It all comes down to it’s now or never. If they let this opportunity slip by they will never get Taiwan.

      Their population is declining and there’s nothing that can be done about it in any meaningful way. Nothing has worked to get people to have more children. As they get older people of military age will decline.

      Right now this generation the males outnumber the females. Which means expendable soldiers. These people will never marry and benefit the state in anyway.

      The leverage China has is it’s consumers it’s one of the largest markets. But the Chinese buying things to support international companies is quite minuscule as a percentage of the population and will decline as time goes on, they get all the media attention that’s all . They’ve been struggling to boost internal consumption for years.

      And it isn’t that surprising. Chinese people are one of the most tightarse people ever. They haggle everything and that’s even if they get to the point of actually going to buy it. Spending money to make money usually doesn’t factor in.

        • shalafi@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Yes, all the foreign policy experts in the linked story are unhinged. So, tell us where you got your foreign relations degree and field experience.

            • shalafi@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              Do you honestly think America wants WWIII with their #1 trading partner? The partner with, arguably, the 2nd most powerful military on the planet?

              This isn’t like the CIA taking over a banana republic in the 50’s.