Is China Planning To Take Taiwan By Force?

Minnie Chan, SCMP: Is Beijing planning to take Taiwan back ... by force?

The mainland is refining the tactics that could pave the way for a forcible seizure of the self-ruled island, according to a senior adviser.

Beijing is mapping out specific tactics to lure Taiwan into its orbit and possibly pave the way for forcible seizure of the self-ruled island, although there is no timetable for such a drastic move, according to a senior mainland Taiwan affairs adviser.

Li Yihu, dean of Peking University’s Taiwan Studies Institute, said Beijing was reinforcing its “carrot and stick” approach to dealing with Taiwan’s independence forces after passing historic constitutional amendments on Sunday to remove presidential term limits on the mainland.

Beijing has been using economic sweeteners or “carrots” such as offers of better paying jobs, access to bigger markets and equal treatment to lure Taiwanese to the mainland.

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WNU Editor: China is playing the long game with Taiwan .... and their goal of re-integrating Taiwan back into China has remained the same. Of course .... Taiwan has a different opinion, and are trying their best to make sure that in the event China decides to pursue a more aggressive policy, it would be an expensive one .... Taiwan Wants U.S. F-35 Jets To Defend Against Chinese Invasion (Newsweek).