[jerzyt]

I have been in Taiwan multiple times on business, but all trips came in two distinct time periods: about 1998 and then 2008. Each time I have spent several weeks there - not a two day trip like airport-hotel-client-hotel-airport. I had a chance to spend weekends with colleagues, and observe how locals spend time.

During the first stint (1998) I was impressed how proudly anti-communist the Taiwanese were. Proud of their independence and held Chiang Kai-Shek in high regard. The Chiang Kai-Shek mausoleum was bustling with crowds - I enjoed strolling around there on weekends. During my second stint (2008), the Chiang Kai-Shek mausoleum was a sorry sight - almost nobody around, most of it closed off for "renovation" and it felt desolate. I also detected a significant shift towards unification with China among my colleagues. I can only hope that Taiwan paid close attention to Hong Kong. I'd hate to see such a bustling, open and full of great people country fall under Chinese control.

[powerapple]

The truth is, China do not want to control Taiwan, and China do not want to lose Taiwan. Sounds contradict but because it is. Let's take Hong Kong for example, Hong Kong has changed China's view on this issue completely. Hong Kong would be a much better asset for China if it is independent but stay Chinese. China does not need another city. The problem is that even though Hong Kong is Chinese, the movement of seeking independence (I am sure you can find how some parliament members' display of 'fuck China' during inauguration would upset Chinese government) has lead to a stage, where Chinese government would be very worries if they don't have the control of Hong Kong. Now they are looking at this 'one country two systems' differently, because one party will not respect 'one country' and the other party will not respect 'two systems'. The same is Taiwan. One option is to have a friendly state, it is not going to happy; the other option is to have a independent state, China will not allow it to happen. Taking Taiwan does not really benefit China, but from the government's eye, if the relationship don't change, and Taiwan declare independence in one way or the other, China will be forced to react or suffer the chain reaction of the result of it.

[andromeduck]

Oh please, the independence movement wouldn't have gotten any traction had they simply continued the original strategy of imparting the changes over generations but the emperor can't appear to be weak and none of the political appointments at the leaison wanted to risk their necks to call out how stupid the strategy was.

[powerapple]

Exactly. If the emperor shows his weakness, the empire could collapse. If you have followed the story, China has been asking Hong Kong to implement Basic Law 23 from 2008, it was a guarantee for no independence movement, and they couldn't do it until 2020, the National Security law was basically forced on Hong Kong because its inability to implement it. China was hoping to continue the original strategy but the movement has been used as evidence that the original strategy will not work. Also you have to know, there are so much wealth from Chinese officials and elite family are in Hong Kong, there would be strong power within the party to keep Hong Kong as it is, unfortunately they are losing ground because of whats happening on TV. You don't have to mention that Hong Kong was set to be a model for the one country two systems example, China has all the reasons to make it work as much as possible. Okay, I just wanted to analyze what's happened in my way of thinking, not trying to play the judge.

[rdlecler1]

“Before 1997, the British colonial government introduced the Crimes (Amendment)(No.2) Bill 1996 in an attempt to concretise the concepts of "subversion" and "secession" by confining them to actual violent conduct but of no avail. The bill was voted down in the elected Legislative Council of Hong Kong amid opposition from Beijing and thus left a vacuum in the present legislation.[4]”

-Wikipedia in Basic Law 23

[andromeduck]

I think attitudes have changed a lot since events in Hong Kong, at least amongst the younger crowd.