But my point is, why would China invade Taiwan to destroy their successful economy? China is deeply eroding a lot of what made Hong Kong unique, certainly people's freedoms, but it was never stupid enough to impact their economy because it is China's economy also. The same would be true of Taiwan. China want Taiwan under Beijing's rule but Beijing understand what makes a good economy because the country has benefited from this. A strong economy generates money which can be used to invest and influence foreign agenda which the West was slow to recognise.
That's the thing. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
There's been a decades long purge within the Communist Party in China. Anyone with any power who could challenge Xi Jinping have been purged from the party. So what's left are just sycophants who tell Xi what he wants to hear. And what he wants to hear is that he's greatest leader that China and the world has ever seen.
Xi has a grand vision that he's destined to reunify China and by extension the world (once they realize how great he is). It's why all the rhetoric coming out of mainland China is about how they are the great and peaceful nation that only does things lawfully. It's all the other countries in the world that are not only war mongers but unlawfully attempt to limit China's right to what they believe is theirs. It's why they try to provoke either the US or Taiwan military forces to fire on their incursions into Taiwan's Airspace. If some pilot foolishly fires on them, then China will feel they are in the right and that any force is justified since they were fired on first.
He must control the dialog around his enshrinement as the greatest leader China has ever had. So to that end, anything that he can't control is being erased. Anything that he doesn't like is being erased. Just look at how some of China's most popular actors, actresses, singers, etc. are slowing being erased from existence. The most recent one is Zhao Wei. It's almost impossible to see any of her movies or find her anywhere on the net in China anymore.
That's why the crackdown in Hong Kong has been so swift and vicious, especially when he saw that no country in the world would intervene in the face of Chinese might ... and right. It's why the laws against "sedition" are crafted in such a way that any violation anywhere in the world can lead to prosecution and jailing in China as soon as an individual enters China. If you've been paying attention to what's happening as much as I have, it's all slash and burn in order to silence anything that would paint Xi Jinping in an unfavorable light.
Crackdowns on teachers that don't teach what Xi wants taught in a way that he wants it taught. Crackdowns on private businesses that don't operate how he wants them to operate. Urging the people to work for the good of the country and not for the good of themselves. A proper Chinese man should be manly and rugged and not effeminate. Male actors and singers that don't match his vision of "maleness" are also slowly being erased in China.
Taking over Taiwan isn't about bolstering China's economic power, that would just be a bonus. It's all about Xi Jinping's road towards reunifying China and becoming the greatest leader that China and the world has ever seen. Should that happen, it's quite probable that the Korean Peninsula would be next as that was once part of China as well. And Japan likely soon after that. There's been increasing crackdowns in China against people that visit Japanese monuments, for instance. Which is a shame as relations between the countries had been warming prior to Xi Jinping purging the ranks of opposition.
Bleh. Hopefully that's at least somewhat understandable. I obviously get very emotional when thinking about it because I have so many relatives in Taiwan and Japan.
Regards,
SB
