6 ms·

China's Xi says 'reunification' with Taiwan is inevitable

15 points by donsupreme 3y ago

pylua 3y ago
Does this also mean that armageddon is inevitable?
simonblack 3y ago
East and West Germany merged when it became advantageous to both. Communist China and the Republic of China will merge when it becomes advantageous to both. And it's nobody else's business but theirs.
- wkat4242 3y ago
  There's a difference between advantageous and 'advantageous'. With the Germanies the East went from a one-party dictatorship to democracy. With Taiwan it's going to be the opposite (Hong Kong has shown clearly how true that is) The only 'advantage' for them will be that China doesn't destroy them.
  - simonblack 3y ago
    I don't think 'democracy' means what you think it does. But who am I to burst your bubble? No such animal anywhere in the world. Oligarchies yes, democracies no.
    - wkat4242 3y ago
      I'm not saying our democracies are perfect but I hella prefer living in Europe over living in China.
      - fragmede 3y ago
        How much experience do you have with both of those?
aragonite 3y ago
> China’s “reunification” with Taiwan is inevitable, President Xi Jinping said in his New Year’s address on Sunday, striking a stronger tone than he did last year with less than two weeks to go before the Chinese-claimed island elects a new leader. "striking a stronger tone" is simply factually incorrect. He said reunification is a "historical inevitablity" (历史必然), which is word-for-word the exact same language he's been using since as far back as 2014. [1] [1] http://politics.people.com.cn/n/2014/0927/c70731-25745785.html http://politics.people.com.cn/n/2014/0927/c70731-25745785.ht...
- brucethemoose2 3y ago
  I wish there was a flag for "misleading title" on HN. Not OPs fault, of course, but so many big name outlets do this.
- seanmcdirmid 3y ago
  Ya, this is more of the same bluster. Chinese politicians talk a lot, but you can only judge them by their actual actions. I’m not even sure why these speeches are reported on anymore, they don’t provide any new information, they just go through a bunch of ceremony.
  - toyg 3y ago
    "Their actions" are an increased amount of military resources in the straits, including bases. They spout rhetoric like any other government, but they do follow through with actions.
    - seanmcdirmid 3y ago
      I mean, yes, they are taking over the SCS, but that isn’t much concern for Taiwan. Actually, this works out better for them, since one of the reasons China wants Taiwan is that they don’t have open access to the ocean (control of the SCS would be an alt to that goal). American bases in the ryukyus ensure that China isn’t going to do much action on Taiwan at least in the next few years.
- 3y ago
mynameisnoone 3y ago
This is the same thing that has been said umpteen times before. It's code for "Just wait, foolish Westerners. If either Ukraine loses support because COTUS lunatics can't grok geopolitics or stromgman-loving, Kremlin-owned Trump becomes POTUS because of Ruth Bader Biden, we're going full Wolf Warrior and will take Taiwan by force. What do you think those 3 islands were for in the South China Sea? [Evil laugh here]"

15 points by donsupreme 3y ago

Does this also mean that armageddon is inevitable?

East and West Germany merged when it became advantageous to both. Communist China and the Republic of China will merge when it becomes advantageous to both. And it's nobody else's business but theirs.

wkat4242 3y ago
There's a difference between advantageous and 'advantageous'. With the Germanies the East went from a one-party dictatorship to democracy. With Taiwan it's going to be the opposite (Hong Kong has shown clearly how true that is) The only 'advantage' for them will be that China doesn't destroy them.
- simonblack 3y ago
  I don't think 'democracy' means what you think it does. But who am I to burst your bubble? No such animal anywhere in the world. Oligarchies yes, democracies no.
  - wkat4242 3y ago
    I'm not saying our democracies are perfect but I hella prefer living in Europe over living in China.
    - fragmede 3y ago
      How much experience do you have with both of those?

aragonite 3y ago

> China’s “reunification” with Taiwan is inevitable, President Xi Jinping said in his New Year’s address on Sunday, striking a stronger tone than he did last year with less than two weeks to go before the Chinese-claimed island elects a new leader. "striking a stronger tone" is simply factually incorrect. He said reunification is a "historical inevitablity" (历史必然), which is word-for-word the exact same language he's been using since as far back as 2014. [1] [1] http://politics.people.com.cn/n/2014/0927/c70731-25745785.html http://politics.people.com.cn/n/2014/0927/c70731-25745785.ht...

brucethemoose2 3y ago
I wish there was a flag for "misleading title" on HN. Not OPs fault, of course, but so many big name outlets do this.
seanmcdirmid 3y ago
Ya, this is more of the same bluster. Chinese politicians talk a lot, but you can only judge them by their actual actions. I’m not even sure why these speeches are reported on anymore, they don’t provide any new information, they just go through a bunch of ceremony.
- toyg 3y ago
  "Their actions" are an increased amount of military resources in the straits, including bases. They spout rhetoric like any other government, but they do follow through with actions.
  - seanmcdirmid 3y ago
    I mean, yes, they are taking over the SCS, but that isn’t much concern for Taiwan. Actually, this works out better for them, since one of the reasons China wants Taiwan is that they don’t have open access to the ocean (control of the SCS would be an alt to that goal). American bases in the ryukyus ensure that China isn’t going to do much action on Taiwan at least in the next few years.
3y ago

mynameisnoone 3y ago

This is the same thing that has been said umpteen times before. It's code for "Just wait, foolish Westerners. If either Ukraine loses support because COTUS lunatics can't grok geopolitics or stromgman-loving, Kremlin-owned Trump becomes POTUS because of Ruth Bader Biden, we're going full Wolf Warrior and will take Taiwan by force. What do you think those 3 islands were for in the South China Sea? [Evil laugh here]"