CHINA President Xi Jinping’s Carrot and Stick strategy toward TAIWAN–

 CHINA President Xi Jinping’s Carrot and Stick strategy toward TAIWAN–

On the one hand, Xi Jinping talks about "peaceful Peaceful Reunification," while on the other, he ramps up military pressure around Taiwan.

—This is not merely a contradiction, but a dangerous and effective part of Beijing’s calculated "carrot and stick" strategy.

Chinese strategic culture is rooted in the ancient philosopher Sun Tzu’s teaching that "the supreme art is to subdue the enemy without fighting."

The overtures to Taiwan about cultural ties, economic benefits, and concessions are intended to convince the Taiwanese public and its more moderate political parties that joining China would benefit them economically and avert devastation.

By contrast, military exercises and the constant presence of warships and aircraft in the Taiwan Strait send the message that resistance could lead to devastating consequences.

The aim of this dual policy is to sow division within Taiwanese society and politics.

China wants to encourage groups or political factions within Taiwan that favor negotiations with Beijing.

By instilling fear of military pressure, it wants to break the morale of Taiwan’s citizens so that the Taiwanese public comes to believe that the United States or other Western countries will ultimately not come to their defense, making a deal with China the only option.

In the political agenda of the Chinese Communist Party, and especially Xi Jinping, Taiwan’s annexation is an "irreversible historical mission."

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