Countries are all now in a bidding war for the right people. Or, just people, people, people who can do well in the particular country.

The media and WWII reenactors don’t see it, yet. But in a decade or so, it’ll be an obvious, flat-out competition.

There is a school of thought they already have bought Taiwan’s elites, who are Chinese of course — as opposed to the natives they Lord over.

I think Xi will do as you say, I think he already has, you are absolutely right about the chips, which is at the root of most of this, the rest window dressing. If Xi can get the chips by money he certainly will. For China cannot make their own small chips, and the actual chip wafer cutters that are very small are in the USA, South Korea, Holland.
That the chip cutters are not in Taiwan

Trump was really squeezing them hard on chips, they were down to a few months left. With Trump gone it’s happy days are here again all around.

As for the Taiwan elites blowing up the chip factories… I think you overestimate their commitment.

The smartest defense for Taiwan would be to mine its own chip-making plants and other valuable assets. Then quietly let the Chinese Communist Party know that there will be nothing left standing on the island after the CCP achieves “victory”.

The smartest form of attack for the CCP is simply to do what they have already done with Biden*, US politicians, business, and media — simply buy Taiwanese politicians. China can afford to be patient — maybe they have to wait another generation to install a Taiwanese version of Biden* who will “voluntarily” rejoin Taiwan to the Mainland. They could even organize a vote, and get 80 Million votes in Taiwan for reunification.

A serious Taiwan would not have ended conscription and replaced it with a much less trained army of volunteers, Taiwan’s military appears in shambles.They dismantled their conscript army and did not replace it except in name. T. Greer at the Scholar’s Stage has written about this matter.

A serious Taiwan would adopt the Finns or Swiss system of a rifle in every house and every centimeter of Taiwan plotted in interlocking fires, but no…and again it’s probably because the Chinese Ruling Class does not trust the native islanders, but this is none of our business.

Buying American Weapon systems that will not stop or deter invasion are good for kickbacks all round, and the missile salesman business, but while yes they can lob some missiles into China, 225 kg of explosives into China shall not do anything but annoy China, China is very large. Also our very own American aerospace and so missile business has no problem transferring technology to China for money either, because we ourselves are as corrupted as the Taiwan elites.

A serious Taiwan would not be talking smack while taking China’s money, but they are….

And finally a serious American would look at the map and realize it’s not worth the cost, in particular as US elites and Taiwan’s elites are taking Chinese coin. A serious American would realize that it’s psychotic to even speak of war with the above facts of runaway corruption all around are known publicly and personally noticed by the troops. One cannot even issue troops more than token ammunition under those circumstances. Indeed the serious Taiwan elites in effect DON’T issue their troops ammunition for training, or much for training at all, because they fear them. So did the worthies who summoned the US ARNG to DC. At no point did anyone have more than 30 rounds, usually 15, and that was only at the Capitol. Indeed the active forces turned down DC on Jan 6, forcing the desperate Congress to reach out to Dem State’s guardsmen. Said states did not send their troops with ammunition, or at least NJ did not, and what does all this have in common with Taiwan? Well it’s the same sort of situation. In America the troops aren’t trusted either. In Taiwan they’re not trusted, so they aren’t put in a situation where actual patriots or simply armed men who’ve had enough nonsense could make a difference.

No blood for Taiwan. You war profiteers can go and defend your investments yourselves, and you can defend them in America too.

Come back when you’re serious. In the meantime, seriously, Taiwan has no army, it doesn’t dare. And we’ll discover when the DC regime attempts to use it that DC doesn’t have a military either..

Well, if you are going to use weasel-worded value judgements like “serious” then no one will ever be able to prove you wrong because no one will ever be able to force you to define your terms.

In the mean time, Taiwan has produced some physical evidence of its seriousness.

https://missilethreat.csis.org/missile/yun-feng/

Taiwan can only deliver 225kg of seriousness at a time, but it can deliver that seriousness at 1030 m/s, so the PRC might have some nasty surprises in store.

I won’t bother arguing for the seriousness of mine-laying boats in this space.

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2020/08/taiwan-launches-1st-mine-laying-ship-for-roc-navy/

Is China a Threat to mainland America, or even our outposts at Guam or Hawaii? No, and probably not.

Is blood for Taiwan an American interest? No. See below. The Taiwan government doesn’t think so either.

Will the new American Military now disavowed of Oath from above [it was to the defunct Constitution] fight reliably for the new “Regime”, which is on the take from China? Such a huge known unknown as to not make it worth the risk. To sane people.

Does Taiwan care about their own defense? NO. They ended conscription and they don’t train the soldiers they have, or equip them. A serious nation would arm at the depth of Finland or Switzerland, every man a soldier. Taiwan refuses to do do. They fear their own more than China. In line with this Taiwan’s ruling class is apparently very loving $$ of Chinese money. But so is everyone, including Americans of all kinds, including not only of course POTUS but such worthies as General Mattis. Taiwan’s largely Chinese Ruling class may be more afraid of the native Taiwanese than the mainland they take money from, so we can’t count on them.

It’s rather difficult to have your heart in a fight where you know those you defend and those who command you are on the take from the people you’re supposed to be fighting.

Does the above mean there won’t be war? No. It’s just that there are limits to insanity that may yet have to be plumbed.

The only problem with this strategy from the standpoint of the CCP is that China’s increasingly bellicose attitude is frightening countries like Japan, Vietnam, both Koreas, and India, and a combination of these countries would be more than a match for China, and they are increasingly coming together to present a united front. There will probably be a “window” where the lives of American decline and anti-China coalition rise cross. This is when they will strike. Interesting times.

We could survive and win a war with China but not with the people we have running our country. They’re doing everything they can to make sure we lose and I’m not being fallacious. I really mean it. They are trying to undermine our capabilities across the board.

https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/the-thirty-tyrants