“This is why China must think twice about war with Japan/Taiwan.”
During the time of the CCP China goes to war because they want to distract the people from other problems, knowing an outside threat will bring them together. As Westerners we can’t put ourselves into the minds of the CCP because we are as different as people can possibly get. Imbuing Chinese leaders with the thoughts and sensibilities of Westerners is a mistake.
I do think they are different, but I do not believe “war” to be an easy “fix” for the problems of the CCP.
It carries enormous risks because there are many unknowns and China has little to gauge the worthiness of their military and tech.
Much of the West will cut economic ties and if you remove half your economy (exports) when you are struggling (as the rest of the world) the end results are unpredictable for everyone.
The average Chinese care as much about Taiwan as Russians do about the Ukraine.