[TigerLikesRooster]

Ping!

[dennisw]

China wants Taiwan because of it's great wealth. Capture Taiwan and China's GDP increases by 33%. Plus many of China's crony capitalists will force their into Taiwanese hi tech companies (compulsory joint ownership)

[ASA Vet]

Would an offer of US statehood be a trigger?

[sukhoi-30mki]

The author leaves out 2 or even 3 indirectly related triggers-

1.A big outbreak of anti-party protests & violence in provinces like Xinjiang(Muslim dominated) & Tibet or even in the mainland may throw Beijing offguard and present a tempting opportunity for Taiwan to declare independence & force China to attack in order to preserve unity(given that Taiwan is an emotive uniting factor on the mainland).

2.Big Regional flareups with Indonesia or Vietnam over the Spratleys,with Japan over any crisis in North Korea or with India(in the event of an Indo-Pak war) may also make Beijing to try & subvert attention by launching a swift war on Taiwan.

3.The event of the US getting "tied down" in North Korea or Iran is yet another window of opportunity for China given the likelyhood that the US population won't be interested in another war,this time with a nuclear power.

[Boundless]

You forgot:

0. Election of John F. Kerry,
assuring the PRC a free hand in
trashing Taiwan.

[risk]

A people's army has no rival!

[SunkenCiv]

Beijing has stonewalled all of Taipei's offers

Taiwan should keep making the offers, but never agree to anything in any talks that actually come about. China's not interested in anything except capitulation. It's already been nearly 60 years. In another 40 or 50 years world support for China's nonsense will be at an end, and China's population will be roughly half what it is today. There will be no living memory of Mao, and very likely the single party state apparatus will have drifted even further out of relevance.

[SunkenCiv]

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The New Chinese Empire: And What It Means for the United States by Ross Terrill Paperback reviewed by Chang Yun-ping Google search for Ross Terrill	China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Inc.: The Dynamics of a New Empire by Willem van Kemenade tr by Diane Webb library binding reviewed by Orville Schell

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NOT A PING LIST, merely posted to: ASA Vet; Boundless; belmont_mark; Dr. Marten; dennisw; Filibuster_60; Fishing-guy; genghis; HighRoadToChina; hedgetrimmer; Jeff Head; Khurkris; ken5050; maui_hawaii; Pearls Before Swine; risk; Squantos; sukhoi-30mki; TigerLikesRooster; Travis McGee; tallhappy

[SunkenCiv]

George: "Dad, it's me. Hey, listen, I was at Fortunoff's the other day, and, you know what, you were right."

Estelle, feigning a Chinese, muffled voice: "Chinese food."

Frank, hanging up: "Sorry, George, our Chinese food just came. Talk to you later."

George: "Chinese food?"

http://www.stanthecaddy.com/the-junk-mail-script.html