Tallhappy, I've sided with your opinion on this for a long time. I still do, but in recent years I have been dismayed to watch the Taiwanese themselves speak favorably of the one nation two systems theory. Frankly I think that's suicidal, but it's their country.
I don't think they all feel that way, so I'm still in support of a separate sovereign Taiwan. But if I hear much more, I'm going to withdraw my support of a separate Taiwan myself.
Compounding the problem, corporate business abandonment of Taiwan for the the mainland is briske. Taiwan's business climate is suffering from what I've been led to believe.
I think Bush is wrong here. I oppose his views on this. But I think that's the way it's headed. And I think Taiwan will be the ones to undercut our support of them. Course on the other hand, they may see us selling them out and realize it's futal. I just don't know.
I think they're split. My limited experience with several Taiwanese and Chinese roommates for a couple of years in collage supports the idea that the independence movement is weak. There's a stronger link with China than to capitalist/libertarian western ideals. The oldest and most politically active of the bunch expressed his hope to me that the US would not invade if China did take his little country. It wasn't that he didn't want immediate democracy and freedom, he just thought that the price of a land battle there would be too high, and figured China would settle into its own version of freedom and reform over time.
Nevertheless, it would probably never come to that. We could probably hold off a Chinese invasion with less than 10% of our Navy. They don't have the sea power or experience to pull it off.
Compounding the problem, corporate business abandonment of Taiwan for the the mainland is briske. Taiwan's business climate is suffering from what I've been led to believe. Who was the president who granted China PERMANENT "Most Favored Nation" trade status? Hint,his uncle is in business with them,and his father used to be the US ambassador there.