[whynotminot]

I sometimes wonder if Xi has realized that Taiwan is more valuable independent. Xi gets to sell his populace on the idea of a united West intent on shaming and restraining China, and can point to Taiwan as a tangible embodiment of this.

Hell, we've got genuine believers (...or shills) even in these comments talking about how US support for Taiwan is all just a ploy to weaken China.

If Xi makes a move on Taiwan, he turns China into a Russia-like pariah to the West and bears an immense cost in lives and materiel. For what gain exactly?

Taiwan is worth more as a bogeyman he can point to for nationalistic rallying than as an actual possession.

[trashtester]

> For what gain exactly?

How do you measure gain? If consider only economic benefits, why did Putin attack Ukraine?

Now if you consider that these men have big egos, are more driven by nationalist motives than economic ones and that they want to go down in history as the next Peter the Great or Qin Shihuang?

Then maybe they are willing to tolerate that their peoples experience a period of economic decline, to ensure the greatnest of the nation and the supreme leader?

Given their value systems, this may even be rational.

[echaozh]

Taking Taiwan back won't make a Chinese leader "great". It is more of a responsibility and sort of a minor one, as a not so famous general （Shi Lang) in Qing dynasty achieved this and people have criticized and are still criticizing him for his betrayal to the Ming dynasty.

Deng Xiaoping brought Hong Kong and Macao back, but he was memorated as a great leader not because of this, but because he opened the door for China to its economic prosperity.

[trashtester]

So what you're saying, is:

Xi needs to take Korea and Japan too?