[jhou2]

China is Taiwan's largest trading partner. 42% of Taiwan exports go to China and Hong Kong. 22% of Taiwan imports are from China. Around 200,000 to 400,000 Taiwanese work in China. China doesn't need to militarily invade Taiwan. Like Hong Kong, it can just wait until the economic reality is that Taiwan is already a vassal state dependent on China. At that point, it can move military troops into Taiwan if needed. There won't be a fight, because at that point, the USA will already be far more darkly insular.

[qwezxcrty]

China is the largest trade partner of many other countries, why only Taiwan worry about being turned into a vassal state?

The majority of population in Taiwan is Han Chinese, using almost the same language as mainland China. It's not surprising that many of them will like to work on the other side of strait if there are good opportunities. People from mainland China too, especially for people in Fujian and Guangdong.

And eventually, hypothetically, people in Taiwan prefer and choose to unite with mainland China, maybe after PRC evolved into something more ideologically acceptable, I see more good than issues.

[komali2]

This is an outdated viewpoint that doesn't take into account the newer generations of Taiwanese who are developing a distinctly anti Chinese identity and rejecting what older people call "Han" (華人）. The younger generations are leaning into and exploring the diverse heritage of the island itself, including by going out of their way to learn indigenous languages and incorporate aspects of indigenous culture.

Taiwanese are also inventing their culture from whole cloth, forming cultural alliances named cute things like "the bubble tea alliance" in a direct oppositional effort against CPC cultural imperialism that centers around han supremacy.

Every year that goes by the presumptive and han supremacist viewpoint that "Chinese is Chinese" evaporates further in Taiwan. Every day 台灣中文 diverges further from 普通話; they are now classified by linguists as separate forms of Mandarin entirely (not just because of the character set. Obviously the languages are mutually intelligible though).

It's worth pointing out that "use the same language" is kinda silly to say in either case. Though of course most PRC speak Mandarin, and most Taiwanese speak Taiwanese Mandarin, both nations are filled with bi and trilingual people speaking all sorts of dialects.

[qwezxcrty]

I agree to some extent, especially with the newer generation. I still hold the probably old school view point, that believe the separation of China and Taiwan is mostly a political problem caused by ideological differences. (And personally hoping that PRC can get democracy and then China and Taiwan can reunite in some form).

But I'd like to point out PRC also have more than Han Chinese. Even myself doesn't fit in the narrow sense Han (汉). There are all sorts of dialects and indigenous local culture. The difference of language and culture within PRC can be even bigger than the difference across the strait (for example, I almost cannot understand 粤语 but have zero problem talking to Taiwanese colleagues in our most native language).

I routinely visit Taiwan based websites, reading 繁体/正体中文 and post in 简体中文, and apparently have almost no difficulty getting myself and Taiwanese understood.

By the way, you mentioned bubble tea... There are so many bubble tea shops in mainland China, some invested by Taiwanese, and I really miss them after moving to Europe.

[kmonsen]

Sure the US is turning insular, the only thing all politicians are on is that bribery is good and China is the main enemy. Which still means that Taiwan will be defended.