China's First Aircraft Carrier To Be Named After Admiral Who Conquered Taiwan

[Monoriu]

Just as long as they don't screw up the Taiwanese bike industry I'm happy.   

Beijing has gone out of its way to help Taiwanese industry.  Their strategic aim is to win the hearts and minds of the Taiwanese.  Specific measures involve large scale investments by Chinese companies, the release of large numbers of mainland tourists, favourable trading terms with Taiwanese firms, incentives for Taiwanese firms to set up on the mainland etc.  The factories that make the ipods and iphones are Taiwanese-owned and they operate on the mainland. 

[mongers]

Just as long as they don't screw up the Taiwanese bike industry I'm happy.   

Beijing has gone out of its way to help Taiwanese industry.  Their strategic aim is to win the hearts and minds of the Taiwanese.  Specific measures involve large scale investments by Chinese companies, the release of large numbers of mainland tourists, favourable trading terms with Taiwanese firms, incentives for Taiwanese firms to set up on the mainland etc. The factories that make the ipods and iphones are Taiwanese-owned and they operate on the mainland.

Oh I know that, just that there bike industry is coming up with some rather innovative products.

[Neil]

The PRC doing hearts-and-minds shit?  It's got to be a  trap.  The mainlanders are animals.

[Monoriu]

The PRC doing hearts-and-minds shit?  It's got to be a  trap.  The mainlanders are animals.

But the Taiwanese also know that they need the help.  Their economy has stagnated, their costs too high and they can't really compete with the mainland anymore. 

[Neil]

The PRC doing hearts-and-minds shit?  It's got to be a  trap.  The mainlanders are animals.

But the Taiwanese also know that they need the help.  Their economy has stagnated, their costs too high and they can't really compete with the mainland anymore.

Yeah, but it's better to be a little poor rather than getting mass-murdered by jackbooted thugs.

[Monoriu]

The PRC doing hearts-and-minds shit?  It's got to be a  trap.  The mainlanders are animals.

But the Taiwanese also know that they need the help.  Their economy has stagnated, their costs too high and they can't really compete with the mainland anymore.

Yeah, but it's better to be a little poor rather than getting mass-murdered by jackbooted thugs.

This is indeed one of the biggest political issues in Taiwan.  Half the population wants to accept mainland help and improve ties.  The other half wants to cool down the relationship.  The Taiwanese are becoming increasingly polarised over this. 

But the way I see it, the choice isn't between "a little poor" and "a little bit better".  HK's experience shows that it is more like a live or die decision. 

[jimmy olsen]

The PRC doing hearts-and-minds shit?  It's got to be a  trap.  The mainlanders are animals.

But the Taiwanese also know that they need the help.  Their economy has stagnated, their costs too high and they can't really compete with the mainland anymore.

Yeah, but it's better to be a little poor rather than getting mass-murdered by jackbooted thugs.

This is indeed one of the biggest political issues in Taiwan.  Half the population wants to accept mainland help and improve ties.  The other half wants to cool down the relationship.  The Taiwanese are becoming increasingly polarised over this. 

But the way I see it, the choice isn't between "a little poor" and "a little bit better".  HK's experience shows that it is more like a live or die decision.

Taiwan has far more options due to it's size, geography and wealth that HK simply did not have. The two are not comparable.

[mongers]

The PRC doing hearts-and-minds shit?  It's got to be a  trap.  The mainlanders are animals.

But the Taiwanese also know that they need the help.  Their economy has stagnated, their costs too high and they can't really compete with the mainland anymore.

Yeah, but it's better to be a little poor rather than getting mass-murdered by jackbooted thugs.

This is indeed one of the biggest political issues in Taiwan.  Half the population wants to accept mainland help and improve ties.  The other half wants to cool down the relationship.  The Taiwanese are becoming increasingly polarised over this. 

But the way I see it, the choice isn't between "a little poor" and "a little bit better".  HK's experience shows that it is more like a live or die decision.

Taiwan has far more options due to it's size, geography and wealth that HK simply did not have. The two are not comparable.

I don't know, I'm going to defer to Mono, as he's local, travels extensively in the region and has probably talked to a lot more people involve in the situation than you or I.

[Razgovory]

Well, the ROC has a decent chance of simply outliving the PRC.  The last 25 years have shown that those type of regimes are brittle and can collapse very quickly.  A year from now the PRC could be dead and buried and the mainland's new democratic provisional government could be in negotiations for reunification.  While I wouldn't bet on it happening next year, it's not outside the realm of possibility.

[jimmy olsen]

The PRC doing hearts-and-minds shit?  It's got to be a  trap.  The mainlanders are animals.

But the Taiwanese also know that they need the help.  Their economy has stagnated, their costs too high and they can't really compete with the mainland anymore.

Yeah, but it's better to be a little poor rather than getting mass-murdered by jackbooted thugs.

This is indeed one of the biggest political issues in Taiwan.  Half the population wants to accept mainland help and improve ties.  The other half wants to cool down the relationship.  The Taiwanese are becoming increasingly polarised over this. 

But the way I see it, the choice isn't between "a little poor" and "a little bit better".  HK's experience shows that it is more like a live or die decision.

Taiwan has far more options due to it's size, geography and wealth that HK simply did not have. The two are not comparable.

I don't know, I'm going to defer to Mono, as he's local, travels extensively in the region and has probably talked to a lot more people involve in the situation than you or I.

Mono has a somewhat...unique perspective on many things.

[Monoriu]

Taiwan has far more options due to it's size, geography and wealth that HK simply did not have. The two are not comparable.

The last time Taiwan held a presidential election, the population overwhelmingly elected the party that supported engagement with Beijing.  There is a good reason for that.  Under the pro-independence party, Taiwan's economy went down the gutter.  Taiwan's major competitive advantage used to be in electronics.  But now all the factories have moved to the mainland.  They have yet to develop another growth area.  They don't really have many options left besides accepting Beijing's help. 

HK is significantly wealthier than Taiwan on a per capita GDP basis.  Taiwan is obviously larger than HK, but the population is only 3 times larger - i.e. it is still small at 21 million or so.  Both HK and Taiwan are small economies that depend heavily on external trading. 

[mongers]

The PRC doing hearts-and-minds shit?  It's got to be a  trap.  The mainlanders are animals.

But the Taiwanese also know that they need the help.  Their economy has stagnated, their costs too high and they can't really compete with the mainland anymore.

Yeah, but it's better to be a little poor rather than getting mass-murdered by jackbooted thugs.

This is indeed one of the biggest political issues in Taiwan.  Half the population wants to accept mainland help and improve ties.  The other half wants to cool down the relationship.  The Taiwanese are becoming increasingly polarised over this. 

But the way I see it, the choice isn't between "a little poor" and "a little bit better".  HK's experience shows that it is more like a live or die decision.

Taiwan has far more options due to it's size, geography and wealth that HK simply did not have. The two are not comparable.

I don't know, I'm going to defer to Mono, as he's local, travels extensively in the region and has probably talked to a lot more people involve in the situation than you or I.

Mono has a somewhat...unique perspective on many things.

And you think you don't ?   

[The Brain]

Of course the Chinamen are sailing in the "Yellow Sea". For shame, Tim.

[CountDeMoney]

The PRC doing hearts-and-minds shit?  It's got to be a  trap.  The mainlanders are animals.

But the Taiwanese also know that they need the help.  Their economy has stagnated, their costs too high and they can't really compete with the mainland anymore.

Yeah, but it's better to be a little poor rather than getting mass-murdered by jackbooted thugs.

This is indeed one of the biggest political issues in Taiwan.  Half the population wants to accept mainland help and improve ties.  The other half wants to cool down the relationship.  The Taiwanese are becoming increasingly polarised over this. 

But the way I see it, the choice isn't between "a little poor" and "a little bit better".  HK's experience shows that it is more like a live or die decision.

Taiwan has far more options due to it's size, geography and wealth that HK simply did not have. The two are not comparable.

I don't know, I'm going to defer to Mono, as he's local, travels extensively in the region and has probably talked to a lot more people involve in the situation than you or I.

Mono has no grasp of, or knowledge about, the basic concepts of freedom, democracy and humanity.  So no, you shouldn't defer to Mono, as he'd steamroll Taiwan faster than his wife steamrolls him.

[Martinus]

Eh, in a military sense maybe.  He was a terrible businessman though, so peace time would have ruined him probably.  I don't see him going into politics after his repeated run ins with the Continental Congress.

I always thought that "continental congress" sounds rather kinky. Like something a married man does with his lover who is wearing a French maid's outfit and spanking him with a celery stalk.

On the other hand, "English congress" is probably something bland, like having a missionary position sex with one's wife with the lights on.