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The Taiwan Long Game
- clouddrover 4y ago> Xi, like all his predecessors, wants to be the leader who finally annexes Taiwan. This is the more straightforward issue. The decision to invade Taiwan will not be a strategic decision, it will be an emotional decision. Just as Putin invaded Ukraine for emotional reasons, so too Xi is likely to invade Taiwan. What's different to his predecessors is that Xi has accrued more power to himself, changed the rules to extend his rule, and removed any opposition, just as Putin did in Russia. China is running out of people to say "no" to Xi, just as Russia ran out of people to say "no" to Putin. Xi will be feeling his age. He will want the annexation of Taiwan to be his legacy, just like Putin wanted the annexation of Ukraine to be his legacy.