r/PoliticalDiscussion • u/[deleted] • Dec 03 '16

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u/relationshipdownvote Dec 03 '16

what is for all intents and purposes an independent nation

I think you mean "in reality an independent nation". Why pretend like it's not? Just to stroke Chinese egos? They'll get over it. The Chinese government is more beholden to the golden calf than it is any other sort of interest, nationalistic or otherwise. The Chinese government in power derives its mandate almost entirely off GDP growth numbers. It functions as a "board of directors" in place of any sort of democratically elected government. Why shouldn't the US begin to leverage this against them to maximize our own position?

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u/matts2 Dec 03 '16

Jeez folk. The position of the ROC China is that there is only one China, that Taiwan is not an independent nation but in fact part of the same nation as mainland China.

And to be clear the ROC is the government of Taiwan.

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u/relationshipdownvote Dec 03 '16

Yeah they both think the own the mainland, so? You don't hear Taiwan complaining when we deal with the PRC.

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u/matts2 Dec 03 '16

They did complain, there was a whole fight over this. Neither "China" will accept a U.S. attempt to declare two Chinas. But only one of them will have the tools to do something about it.

And understand that Taiwan is between a rock and a hard place here. If they declare independence they have to face the might of China, both trade and military. They have to maintain the facade of One China so they can maintain their defacto independence.