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This is naive. The government simply doesn't have that power. If they tried to downplay Taiwan people would be absolutely furious. The extent of "mind control"

This is naive. The government simply doesn't have that power. If they tried to downplay Taiwan people would be absolutely furious. The extent of "mind control" is really not that great. The internet exists, and despite imperfect controls people have access to information. It would probably take Xi down to try to abandon Taiwan.

stickfigure 5y ago
Then maybe Xi should take more interest in the wellbeing of his people than in his personal political dynasty.
- sudosysgen 5y ago
  The obvious implication is that he will be replaced with someone that cares about Taiwan.
GekkePrutser 5y ago
Serious question: Why do the Chinese people care so much about Taiwan though? What do they want with it? What's the endgame plan? If the vision is that everyone will be living happily ever after under the PRC umbrella, I could see some flaws in that reasoning. Like a whole population that will probably take up arms guerilla-style. I've visited Taiwan and even wearing pro-CCP colours is frowned upon. If they just want the territory and not the people and it'll end up another XinJiang style "re-education" camp, well that's obviously something unsupportable. Also, of course Taiwan is so crucial to global supply chains that this has all the ingredients to become a world war in short order, which is pretty worrying.
- manuelabeledo 5y ago
  > Why do the Chinese people care so much about Taiwan though? They mostly don’t. It’s not that big of an issue outside politics and loudmouths, which sometimes converge. Taiwan is an excuse to add fire to patriotic indoctrination.
- AnimalMuppet 5y ago
  > What's the endgame plan? How about unification, under the government of Taiwan? Is everybody down with that? No? Oh, then maybe the mainland could see why Taiwan isn't down with unification on the mainland's terms. But that's the problem. Neither side is willing to be unified "under" the other. That's not unification; that's subordination. Neither is willing to be subordinated. So no non-violent unification is currently possible.

stickfigure 5y ago

Then maybe Xi should take more interest in the wellbeing of his people than in his personal political dynasty.

sudosysgen 5y ago
The obvious implication is that he will be replaced with someone that cares about Taiwan.

GekkePrutser 5y ago

Serious question: Why do the Chinese people care so much about Taiwan though? What do they want with it? What's the endgame plan? If the vision is that everyone will be living happily ever after under the PRC umbrella, I could see some flaws in that reasoning. Like a whole population that will probably take up arms guerilla-style. I've visited Taiwan and even wearing pro-CCP colours is frowned upon. If they just want the territory and not the people and it'll end up another XinJiang style "re-education" camp, well that's obviously something unsupportable. Also, of course Taiwan is so crucial to global supply chains that this has all the ingredients to become a world war in short order, which is pretty worrying.

manuelabeledo 5y ago
> Why do the Chinese people care so much about Taiwan though? They mostly don’t. It’s not that big of an issue outside politics and loudmouths, which sometimes converge. Taiwan is an excuse to add fire to patriotic indoctrination.
AnimalMuppet 5y ago
> What's the endgame plan? How about unification, under the government of Taiwan? Is everybody down with that? No? Oh, then maybe the mainland could see why Taiwan isn't down with unification on the mainland's terms. But that's the problem. Neither side is willing to be unified "under" the other. That's not unification; that's subordination. Neither is willing to be subordinated. So no non-violent unification is currently possible.