Why simply being Taiwanese could lead to war | DW News

Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged that “reunification” with Taiwan is “inevitable.” Many residents of the island would prefer to maintain Taiwan’s awkward status quo: able to act independently, elect their own government and enjoy their pluralistic democracy—even if most countries do not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state. Many in Taipei point to how Beijing has imposed a harsh national security law in Hong Kong—despite pledges of allowing the former British colony to maintain autonomy under the model of “one country, two systems.” Many also remember how Taiwanese identity was repressed under Nationalist-rule on the island. Democracy and civil rights are now central to Taiwanese identity. But for Beijing promoting “separatism” is a crime. Even speeches from Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te have led to massive Chinese displays of military force. Taiwan’s main political parties have different strategies on how to avoid conflict and being pressured by Beijing. The KMT say provoking China could lead to war and the governing DPP argue Taiwan must deter China. This is the first part of DW’s Inside Asian Conflicts. Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:45 The current scenario 03:18 History of Taiwan 07:55 The Players 11:22 What's at stake? 12:34 Resolution? #China #OneChinaPolicy #InsideAsianConflicts For more news go to: http://www.dw.com/en/ For more news, analysis and background information on the German election 2025 go to our dedicated page: https://www.dw.com/en/german-election... Follow DW on social media: ►Instagram:   / dwnews   ►TikTok:   / dwnews   ►Facebook:   / deutschewellenews   ►Twitter:   / dwnews   Für Videos in deutscher Sprache besuchen Sie:    / dwdeutsch   Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/user/deutsche...