1 May 2024

Xi Is Taking a Page Out of Mao's Playbook—Waging War to Protect Himself at Home | Opinion

Gordon G. Chang

That's how the Taiwan Affairs Office of China's State Council saw the island republic after President Joe Biden signed an aid package that included money for Taiwan on the 24 of this month.

Who could disagree with the Chinese government's assessment of the situation? Xi Jinping, after all, has been readying his military for an invasion across the Taiwan Strait and talks all the time about going to war. "Dare to fight" is his new favorite phrase.

Xi, however, chose not to fight in February, when he had the perfect opportunity to do so. Two Chinese fishermen drowned that month after being chased by the Taiwan Coast Guard. Instead, China's military engaged in theatrics, provocative air and sea exercises near the site of the incident, Taiwan's outlying Kinmen Island. At the same time, Beijing's propaganda organs huffed and puffed, but Xi did not send his ships and troops to Taiwan beaches.

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