Will Taiwan Just Give Up?
The Taiwanese don’t trust Trump, and they don’t believe America will come to their defense. A deal with China is starting to look inevitable.
Chinese President Xi Jinping often seems bored or annoyed during public appearances. His occasional displays of humor have made headlines in Chinese state media. At a meeting with Donald Trump last October, Xi laughed, which "stunned observers." During a May press conference, Xi sat across from Trump in nearly identical armchairs, positioning him smaller and slouched.
The Chinese Communist Party often uses subtle, indirect communication. In April, Xi hosted a lunch for a Taiwan delegation and served a soup that had previously been served at Nixon's state dinner with China in 1972, when Xi was a teenager. Xi seemed animated at the luncheon and even showed his teeth when smiling. He and his courtiers wore blue ties, symbolic of Taiwan's Nationalist Party, which holds the most seats in Taiwan's Parliament.
Taiwanese Nationalist Party leader Cheng Li-wun was the guest of honor. Xi's friendly demeanor during the luncheon seemed at odds with his usual attitude towards Taiwan, which he views as a province needing subjugation. Since 2012, Xi has aimed to isolate and dominate Taiwan. He warned Trump in May that disagreements over Taiwan could lead to dangerous situations that might result in a conflict between the U.S. and China.
However, a month earlier, Taiwanese Nationalists had received a warm welcome in Beijing, with Xi welcoming them as if they held the keys to his success. Meanwhile, the People's Liberation Army has been preparing for a potential invasion of Taiwan, even creating AI-generated videos depicting a Chinese attack. If the U.S. intervenes to defend Taiwan, the conflict could result in significant casualties on both sides and cause trillions of dollars in global market damage.
China has been rehearsing for such a scenario, building training grounds with replicas of U.S. military equipment. Despite the tensions, Cheng Li-wun, the leader of Taiwan's Nationalist Party, sees no threat from China and believes the two nations share the same culture and can embrace a future of reconciliation and unity.
Written by urgent.news from The Atlantic's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
