I am of the contrarian opinion that China will not invade Taiwan. They will continue to infiltrate democratic institutions and eventually take over with all the valuable infrastructure and industry intact.
That is also my opinion. They will infiltrate the boards of Taiwanese companies.
In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy’s country whole and intact; to shatter and destroy it is not so good. […] / Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting. …That certainly is what happened in Hong Kong. (I’m still waiting for the liberal media to start calling it “Xianggang”, which is the Mandarin name rather than the Cantonese name we commonly use.)
— The Art Of War, III:1-2
“They will continue to infiltrate democratic institutions and eventually take over with all the valuable infrastructure and industry intact.”
Good point: China’s hundred year plan.
That was Russia’s plan in the Ukraine but we played the game like Democrats.
What you said.
Overt aggression toward any enemy with the means to reciprocate just isn’t their style, especially considering that a generation or two of economic and political subversion and intimidation will work better.
China always takes the long view.