Is a China-Taiwan War On the Horizon?

Why is China’s leadership so worried about this “renegade province” that’s just a fraction of their size? The answer has a few layers to it.

Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-Wen (C in blue jacket) and assembled naval personnel take part in a ceremony to commission two Perry-class guided missile frigates from the US into the Taiwan Navy, in the southern port of Kaohsiung on Nov. 8, 2018. President Tsai Ing-wen vowed on Nov. 8 that Taiwan would not "concede one step" in defending itself as she inaugurated two frigates bought from the US aimed at boosting the island's naval capabilities against China threats. Chris Stowers/AFP/Getty Images

The biggest threat to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) isn’t the U.S. navy, North Korean nukes, or even economic recession. All of these factors pose serious challenges to the CCP rule in China, but the locus of all those problems is Taiwan.

A Real Alternative to the CCP

Domestically, every day Taiwan represents a real political and economic alternative to the ruling CCP. For decades, Taiwan has managed to grow its economy despite not having the CCP in charge. It also enjoys much greater freedoms than Mainland China.

These painful and very obvious facts show the Chinese people that the CCP’s claim that its leadership is the sole path for Chinese economic development is a fraud. That’s why the very existence of the “renegade province” is such a threat to China’s communist leadership.