I agree. Aggressive empires have proven time and time again that if they meet with success in their early expansion, they will double down and start expanding faster. They don't just eat once and stop.
In the modern world, the speed of potential conquest is far higher now. If China takes Taiwan, it will keep conquering with a snowball effect unless and until someone stops them.
Just look at the speed of the Japanese conquest in WW2. That was 80 years ago. If Japan had been more successful, it would have conquered all the way to India and Australia in the 1st year.
Let's give China what they want, like Taiwan, they will stop there... Whoops! They want more, fine, lets give them the Philippines! They stop this time! Let's give China what they want, like India, they will stop there... Whoops! They want more, fine, lets give them the Vietnam! They stop this time! Let's give China what they want, like Indonesia, they will stop there... Whoops! They want more, fine, lets give them the Malaysia! Fine, Let's give China what they want, like Japan, they will stop there... Whoops! They want more, fine, lets give them the Australia! They stop this time!
Nobody gives a shit about that anymore. That was over 70 years ago. Anyone alive and old enough to care is dead.
The real reason is to flex their power, might, and prestige, and to say "what the CCP wants, the CCP gets, and if you stand in our way, we will destroy you".
The CCP isn't going to drastically cut its military spending and become a hermit kingdom if it gets Taiwan, just like Hitler didn't stop when he got Austria.
I agree. Aggressive empires have proven time and time again that if they meet with success in their early expansion, they will double down and start expanding faster. They don't just eat once and stop.
In the modern world, the speed of potential conquest is far higher now. If China takes Taiwan, it will keep conquering with a snowball effect unless and until someone stops them.
Just look at the speed of the Japanese conquest in WW2. That was 80 years ago. If Japan had been more successful, it would have conquered all the way to India and Australia in the 1st year.
Exactly!
Let's give China what they want, like Taiwan, they will stop there... Whoops! They want more, fine, lets give them the Philippines! They stop this time! Let's give China what they want, like India, they will stop there... Whoops! They want more, fine, lets give them the Vietnam! They stop this time! Let's give China what they want, like Indonesia, they will stop there... Whoops! They want more, fine, lets give them the Malaysia! Fine, Let's give China what they want, like Japan, they will stop there... Whoops! They want more, fine, lets give them the Australia! They stop this time!
That strategy worked on Hitler, after all.
Nobody gives a shit about that anymore. That was over 70 years ago. Anyone alive and old enough to care is dead.
The real reason is to flex their power, might, and prestige, and to say "what the CCP wants, the CCP gets, and if you stand in our way, we will destroy you".
The CCP isn't going to drastically cut its military spending and become a hermit kingdom if it gets Taiwan, just like Hitler didn't stop when he got Austria.