Taiwan is a vital island that is under serious threat • Hacker News Board

Re: Taiwan is a vital island that is under serious threat

#51

Post by unethical_ban » Mon, Mar 06, 2023, 10:55 PM UTC

yogthos wrote: post #31

The elephant in the room is that Taiwan is a Chinese province and Taiwan's legal standing is not in question [1]. This is the position held by the UN, and it's the fundamental basis for having diplomatic relations between US and China per Potsdam Proclamation [2] that was signed 77 years ago between China, the US & the UK. This position has never officially changed. And here's what US State Department says on their o…

What is your point?

Re: Taiwan is a vital island that is under serious threat

#52

Post by pshirshov » Mon, Mar 06, 2023, 10:55 PM UTC

kevin_thibedeau wrote: post #42

jmclnx wrote: post #3

All they need to do is look at what happened in Hong Kong. If China did not do what they did in Hong Kong, Taiwan may be headed to some kind on unification. Now, they would be crazy to even entertain that thought. This issue lies directly on China and no one else. If I had a say in Taiwan, I would announce it is now a independent Country.

[flagged]

Maybe because they've signed an agreement?

Re: Taiwan is a vital island that is under serious threat

#53

Post by epolanski » Mon, Mar 06, 2023, 10:55 PM UTC

jmclnx wrote: post #3

All they need to do is look at what happened in Hong Kong. If China did not do what they did in Hong Kong, Taiwan may be headed to some kind on unification. Now, they would be crazy to even entertain that thought. This issue lies directly on China and no one else. If I had a say in Taiwan, I would announce it is now a independent Country.

Hong Kong was leased to Britain till 1997. Very different case.

As for Taiwan, if they declared independence it will be an act of war.

Don't forget that US protects Taiwan on the basis it does not declare itself a sovereign country.

Also, don't forget this is the official map of the Republic of China (Taiwan):

https://i.redd.it/jbyegko5mkc21.jpg

Re: Taiwan is a vital island that is under serious threat

#54

Post by kevin_thibedeau » Mon, Mar 06, 2023, 10:55 PM UTC

wk_end wrote: post #49

kevin_thibedeau wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

It wasn't about "taking orders", and it had nothing to do with the British. The CCP broke promises they'd made to the people of Hong Kong.

Promises made to appease the British as a condition for the handover.

Re: Taiwan is a vital island that is under serious threat

#55

Post by simplotek » Mon, Mar 06, 2023, 10:56 PM UTC

kevin_thibedeau wrote: post #42

jmclnx wrote: post #3

All they need to do is look at what happened in Hong Kong. If China did not do what they did in Hong Kong, Taiwan may be headed to some kind on unification. Now, they would be crazy to even entertain that thought. This issue lies directly on China and no one else. If I had a say in Taiwan, I would announce it is now a independent Country.

[flagged]

> Hong Kong was seized by a colonial interloper. Why would China take orders from someone who took their land?

The British Empire precedes and was multiple times longer than PRC's rule of mainland China. If you're wanting to play the legitimacy game, by your own measuring stick the UK still has more legitimacy over the rule of HK than the PRC.

Re: Taiwan is a vital island that is under serious threat

#56

Post by ozmodiar » Mon, Mar 06, 2023, 10:56 PM UTC

dwohnitmok wrote: post #19

jmclnx wrote: post #3

All they need to do is look at what happened in Hong Kong. If China did not do what they did in Hong Kong, Taiwan may be headed to some kind on unification. Now, they would be crazy to even entertain that thought. This issue lies directly on China and no one else. If I had a say in Taiwan, I would announce it is now a independent Country.

The Taiwanese concept of "unification" is not what you're thinking of. The Taiwanese faction supporting unification (usually the KMT) does not envision a world where Taiwan is/becomes a province of the PRC, they envision a world where the ROC governs all current PRC provinces, that is where they are in the seat of power in Beijing. I.e. this is something going in the opposite direction. The opposing faction rejects t…

I've never heard this take, even while in Taiwan. They aren't deluded, they know they aren't retaking the mainland. The reason they don't declare themselves a country is because China won't support it and they're worried it would trigger an invasion. China prefers Taiwan be a rebellious province rather than an independent country because it strengthens China's claim to the island. The KMT used to be feeling out a HK like integration with China but I think that's even more dead than it used to be.

Re: Taiwan is a vital island that is under serious threat

#57

Post by aseerdbnarng » Mon, Mar 06, 2023, 10:56 PM UTC

While the Chinese threat to Taiwan is not something to be dismissed completely, the article doesn’t mention just how incredibly vulnerable China is to possible sanctions targeting their food supply. China imports most of its food and as their farmland is quite poor, its hugely dependent on fertiliser to feed itself. Sanctions targeting these basics would be devastating so I really struggle to see a convincing case for the CCP risking national suicide and its own existence over Taiwan

Re: Taiwan is a vital island that is under serious threat

#58

Post by ninethirty » Mon, Mar 06, 2023, 10:57 PM UTC

If China does invade, then it seems likely that North Korea would also invade SK, forcing the US to fight on at least 2-fronts, or 3 depending on what Russia is doing. If I was rich I'd move to Buenos Aires, the Paris of South America, and wait this thing out.

Re: Taiwan is a vital island that is under serious threat

#59

Post by yogthos » Mon, Mar 06, 2023, 10:57 PM UTC

edrxty wrote: post #43

yogthos wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

If any state is being propagandized into secession it's Florida right now. They, however, find themselves in a race with mother nature to see who will remove them from the continental US first.

The point here is that this is the equivalent of what US is doing, and something US would never tolerate itself. Just imagine for a second if China set up equivalent of NED and USAID, started funding political campaigns in Texas or Florida, and so on. This is what US is currently doing.

US is blatantly interfering in Chinese internal politics and violating Chinese sovereignty while acting as if US has some god given right to meddle in other countries. It's absolutely surreal.

Re: Taiwan is a vital island that is under serious threat

#60

Post by simplotek » Mon, Mar 06, 2023, 10:57 PM UTC

kevin_thibedeau wrote: post #54

wk_end wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It wasn't about "taking orders", and it had nothing to do with the British. The CCP broke promises they'd made to the people of Hong Kong.

Promises made to appease the British as a condition for the handover.

> Promises made to appease the British as a condition for the handover.

Care to explain what point you believe you are making?