Another day, another repetition of China's old line that if Taiwan would just agree to unify with China, that their rights would be assured under the "one country two systems" framework.
The article is strong, and includes analysis from experts who mostly actually seem to know what they are talking about. It avoids the incorrect use of "reunification", which not many reports on the issue do. It's clear that a.) Taiwanese are not likely to ever embrace unification (meaning that if it ever happens, it will be annexation, not unification); b.) things aren't great in Hong Kong; and c.) that Taiwan has "everything to lose and nothing to gain" from unification with China.
There are a few flaws, such as not dissecting Jeanne-Pierre Cabestan's assertion that Beijing's offered "reward" is "sweeter" than previous offers when in fact it's just the same old crap, and using the phrase "tensions could rise" rather than clearly identifying China as the source of tensions. But, it's good work overall and I don't want to dwell on these small nitpicks.
Instead, seeing as Xi Dada routinely treats Taiwan as a recalcitrant child (Taiwan is not China's child, but this is how he sees it), I have to wonder what kind of Dad he is exactly. Does he treat his own kid this way?
I can only imagine that conversations in the Xi household go something like this:
Xi Dada: "Honey, come give your Dad a foot rub."
Formosa: "Ew. No. That's gross, you're gross, your feet smell and I'm not going to do it."
Xi Dada: "Come on, don't you want to give me a foot rub?"
Formosa: "I literally just said I don't want to do that."
Xi Dada: "If you give me a foot rub, I'll let you take out the garbage!"
Formosa: "Um, I don't want to take out the garbage or rub your feet. I especially don't want to rub your feet so that I can take out the garbage."
Xi Dada: "Oh, honey, but...if you give me a foot rub, you can take out the garbage! Won't that be great?"
Formosa: "Did you not hear me say two seconds ago that I don't want to take out the garbage?"
Xi Jinping: "If you take out the garbage, you can take out your own garbage with my garbage."
Formosa: "I only have a little garbage. I can take it out myself. You have a ton of garbage. I would be totally buried in it. That's disgusting and I said no."
Xi Jinping: "But honey...don't you want to take out the garbage? You can do that if you rub my feet!"
Formosa: "For the last fucking time, I don't want to give you a foot rub, and I don't want to take out the garbage, so why would I agree to give you a foot rub so I can do another thing I don't want to do?"
Xi Jinping: "Why are you so difficult? This is a wound on our family! It's a matter of family pride that we all agree on."
Formosa: "I don't agree with that and never really said I did."
Xi Jinping: "You used to say that!"
Formosa: "Back when I was forced to. Now I'm not. I never actually believed it and you know that. To be frank, I'm not even sure you're my real Dad."
Xi Jinping: "But I'm offering you so much! I keep sweetening the deal and you keep turning me down!"
Formosa: "What makes it sweeter?"
Xi Jinping: "If you give me a footrub, you can...take out...the...garbage!"
Formosa: "That's not sweeter, that's the same thing you offered me before and it's terrible."
Xi Jinping: "Your cousin gave me a foot rub and took out the garbage and he loves it!"
Formosa: "No he doesn't! You forced him to give you a foot rub and take out the garbage and now he smells like your feet and is covered in garbage!"
Xi Jinping: "That's not true."
Cousin Hong Kong: "That's true."
Xi Jinping: "This is a wound to our family pride!"
International Media: "Oh no! Tensions could...be risen...in the China household!"
Formosa: "Um, I just live nearby and I don't know why this jackass says he's my 'Dad', so - - "
International Media: "Shhh!"
Xi Dada: "A WOUND ON OUR FAMILY PRIDE!! We as a family can never be truly happy until Formosa rubs my feet and gets her reward of taking out the garbage! That's what everyone wants!"
Formosa: "No, it's not what anyone but you - - oh whatever. I'm not going to do it but I'm done telling you why."
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