this post was submitted on 04 Jul 2025
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I understand the historical significance since the nationalists retreated to Taiwan at the end of the Chinese Civil War.

Back then, and for perhaps the middle part of the 20th century, there was a threat of a government in exile claiming mainland China. Historically, then, there was your impetus for invasion.

However, China has since grown significantly, and Taiwan no longer claims to be the government of mainland China, so that reason goes away.

Another reason people give: control the supply of chips. Yet, wouldn’t the Fabs, given their sensitive nature, be likely to be significantly destroyed in the process of an invasion?

Even still, China now has its own academia and engineering, and is larger than Taiwan. Hence, even without the corporate espionage mainland China is known for, wouldn’t investing in their burgeoning semiconductor industry make more sense, rather than spending that money on war?

People mention that taking Taiwan would be a breakout from the “containment” imposed by the ring of U.S. allies in the region.

Yet while taking Taiwan would mean access to deep-water ports, it’s not as though Taiwan would ever pose a threat to Chinese power projection—their stance is wholly defensive. If China decided to pull an “America” and send a carrier to the Middle East or something, no one would stop them and risk a war.

So what is it then? Is it just for national pride and glory? Is it to create a legacy for their leadership? The gamble just doesn’t really seem worth it.

Anyway, appreciate your opinions thanks!

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 days ago

The lithography machines could easily be reverse engineered.... Mechanically..... Only to find out just how complex the rest of the system is just to get it to even work making crap level chips much less anything respectable near the 3nm level. That would be hilarious. Like when the US left a bunch of helicopters and one of the revel factions got a hold of them...yey! We got the helicopters! Only to find out the helicopters aren't the thing that holds power. Barking up the wrong tree.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 days ago

Stopping american influence

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 days ago

The gamble just doesn’t really seem worth it.

China is not invading Taiwan. However if it comes to a war with the US, then it really has to take out Taiwan. It is just too close to the mainland, allowing for easy bombing and missile attacks, while als being able to cut off shipping from the mainland. Obviously the US likes that a lot, as it makes war against the US much more costly for China.

At the same time leaders often make horrible decisions. Just look at the US invading Iraq and Afghanistan or Russia invading Ukraine. Clearly not good wars for the countries invading, but they still did it.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 4 days ago (3 children)

china is a bit like Yugoslavia before the end: lots of different ethnicities being forced to be together. letting a country made up of Chinese people exist in parallel to china keeps a flame of hope alight for those 51 non-Han Chinese ethnicities that were forced to be part of continental china. and China has struggled immensely with multitudes of local kingdoms and warlords throughout its history so it is afraid as its people are very aware of this past through historical dramas

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 4 days ago

Even if taiwans technology manufacturing gets destroyed in the invasion, it's still major part of western world's component infrastructure. They can also just rebuild. China gaining control over that or even just denying it to west would make china internationally more powerful no matter how it goes.

Most likely that isnt the only reason they want taiwan, but i dont believe it isnt one of them.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 days ago

lemmitors: They hate Taiwan for their freedom!

[–] [email protected] -4 points 4 days ago

Extreme disdain for democracy. Some psychopaths want to bring us back before the age of enlightement, while using enlightement or (especially in case of China) post-enlightement ideas to do so, because we citizens are all like badly behaving 12 year olds, who need 24 hour supervision on every day on the week, every month of the year, or we might "go insane" from doing something a psychopathic madman does not want us.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

it's like Spain wanting Catalonia to be under control. Why would Spain want to lose control of a part of their own country?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Too bad Taiwan is not part of China.

[–] [email protected] -4 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Taiwan should be part of China. Taiwan has been ruled by China since the Qing Dynasty.

A Democratic China, that is, not this CCP infested bullshit.

Had the ROC won the Civil War, I doubt anyone would complain about China having HK, Macau, and Taiwan.

For most westerners, the support for Taiwan Independence is mostly a democracy vs autocracy issue, not a independence vs re-unification issue.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 4 days ago (1 children)

West taiwan should become a part of taiwan. West taiwan is rule by a rough back stabing rebellion. :3

[–] [email protected] -2 points 4 days ago

I mean that's exactly what I'm saying.

ROC should retake mainland and unify China into a Democratic Nation.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Sorry tankie. If a bunch of people leave a country they shouldn't be considered property. Re-unification is Chinese propaganda. Most of Taiwan doesn't want that.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 days ago (4 children)

While i agree with you. Taiwan is none of the usa business and usa involvment is a security risk to china

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

It's up to Taiwan to decide who they want to be allies with.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 days ago

Not by threatening china security . Security concerns is the right of every single country. Isn't hypocrital that one side has the right to support allies unconditionally but the other side not?

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 days ago (2 children)

It is though. Both countries claim the other part to be part of the other. Denying that is just western histeria.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Taiwan does not claim that over China.

And just because somebody claims something it doesn't make it true.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Same thing they gained from invading Hong Kong, they think it belongs to them.

Or as one of my old friends told me while playing Final Fantasy 12; the only legitimate reason to wage war against another country - land.

Hong Kong is already part of the Chinese mainland and was already kinda part of China, but Taiwan is a geographically strategic location that puts both Koreas, the Philippines, & Japan in a tougher position. Even without war it would make trade and travel in the Pacific much harder.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 days ago

They didn't invade Hong Kong, it was given back to China from the British after the 99 year lease expired. The violence in Hong Kong was to destroy the concept of democracy among the citizens there.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

Lots of good points, but one aspect that people haven't mentioned yet is that Taiwan is part of the "first island chain"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_chain_strategy

If the PRC conquers Taiwan, then it makes it much harder for the west to blockade the PRC in future conflicts.

Though technically, it is much more important to control the strait of Malacca than Taiwan.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malacca_dilemma

[–] [email protected] 12 points 4 days ago (1 children)

The island chain strategy is the exact reason why China desires Taiwan. If anything, it's a desire not to be blockaded.

It's also the reason why China has been trying to dominate the South China Sea because that's its only outlet to open seas.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 days ago

Like I said, the messaging around the PRC's imperialistic ambitions in Taiwan goes far beyond the concern around blockades. It's just interesting from a military/strategic perspective.

Worth noting that even Russia has not been blockaded after it's imperialistic annexation of Ukraine.

[–] [email protected] 32 points 5 days ago (2 children)

You are approaching this from the perspective of a rational peaceful person from the west, where usually the economy is number one in everything.

Xi has achieved unrivaled rule over the party. He has successfully established a police state that ensures that any domestic dissent is immediately crushed with brutal efficiency. He has subjugated the provinces that dared to think about self rule and cultural differences, and is in the process of ethnic cleansing without any significant opposition or consequences. He has gained colonial influence all over Africa through economic means. He has taken over Hong Kong. He has significantly modernized and expanded the military, including nuclear weapons. He had made China into a global economic superpower, which other countries, including rivals, depend on for a significant amount of manufactured goods and resources.

So what is left for him? Surely he is not a man who can be content with what he has.

The obvious next step is to make China into a military superpower. For that you need to exert power abroad. What better place to begin with than that small island just off your coast that has been a challenge to Chinese supremacy for decades?

Of course, Taiwan is kind of protected by the US, the dominant superpower of the time. But they are struggling, looking weak. If China manages to take Taiwan, they will not only have removed that thorn in their side, they will also have punched the biggest, meanest kid on the block on the nose and gotten away with it.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 days ago

Of course, Taiwan is kind of protected by the US, the dominant superpower of the time. But they are struggling, looking weak.

Keep in mind that China is struggling as well. Their debt problems are several times worse than the US, so they could suffer a major recession within the next few years if a significant disruption like war happens.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Taiwan is a fantastic launching point for an invasion of China and Taiwan has decent relations with the US and other capitalist states who have an interest in opposing China. Yk how people say Israel is an unsinkable aircraft carrier in the middle east? Taiwan could be like that for China if the western powers decided to use it as such. There is already a US military base there. Imagine how the US would react if Cuba had a Chinese military base? This is the main material reason.

Chip manufacturing could also play a role but it is a minor one compared to this.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 5 days ago

What does China achieve

The typical bully's satisfaction.

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