Discussion Highlights
- Mr. Steven Chuang, a Taiwanese, and a member of the Greater Hickory International Council Advisory Board was our guest attendee.
- We briefly went over the rulers of China from Independence through present:
Rulers of China from Independence through present
o 1949 – 1976: Mao Tse Tung – Unified China more than anyone else in the history of China even with 80% absolute poverty.
o 1978 – 1989: Deng Xiaoping – Started a radical reform policy where he opened the Chinese market to the outside world leading to the rise of china, though he was criticized for the military crackdown on the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.
o 1993 – 2003: Jiang Zemin – Was hand-picked by Deng Xiaoping and followed his footsteps. The reversion of Hong Kong to Chinese control in 1997 took place under his watch.
o 2003 – 2012: Hu Jintao – Introduced state control. Witnessed consistent economic growth. He was a consensus-builder.
o 2012 – present: Xi Jingping – Anti-corruption drive that also targeted his rivals. Phrased the “Made in China 2025” (Tech, IT, and Robotics), and the Belt & Road Initiative in 152 countries. His China dream is Power, Wealth, and Respect.
U.S. foreign policy inconsistencies:
o Nixon recognition of Taiwan as part of China (1972).
o Biden declaration that he will defend Taiwan if attacked (2022).
- U.S. sells weapons to Taiwan.
- Officials visit to Taiwan (Pelosi in 2022)
o Tsai Ing-wen (president of Taiwan ) is in favor of an independent Taiwan
o Amphibian invasion by China is challenging because of the width of the strait of Taiwan (110 miles) and because of the slow movement of the fleet and its vulnerability.
o China is probably not interested in indiscriminately bombing Taiwan. There is no gain long-term.
o Taiwan has historically become mode advanced technologically even though Taiwan’s size is less than 0.4% that of China.
o The one-party China (government) does not respect privacy and has implemented AI technology to spy on its people indiscriminately.
o Does China consider Taiwan as “the enemy”? The answer is generally “no” even though Taiwan has become increasingly pro-west.
o What has made Xi unpopular is:
- His lock-down COVID policies
- His hand-cuffing of the financial industry through his economic reforms
- The issue with Taiwan
- The limited birth rate policy
o Even though Russia and China have an armed border, could they possibly unite in some ways against the U.S.? Maybe for a short period.
o Would the U.S. congress approve any form of war against China if China invades Taiwan? Probably not.