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Taiwan just bought $11 billion in military hardware just weeks ago.... Unless the CCP collapses Taiwan isnt going to ever want to join them. They clearly like being able to vote and chose their own government. Heck they have voted for both pro and anti China leaders and that isnt something they would be able to do in China.
No country that is prosperous and in good shape willingly caves and joins and authoritarian regime. That's not how it works at all.
Thats why Europe wont rush to join China either because even with Trump taking hard stances there are checks within the US government and thats not the case in China. Plus add in how everyone is taking a more Nationalistic stance.... thats not compatible to running to China. China would have to make significant changes to its monetary system including ending the whole onshore/offshore Yuan to take over the US's spot. Its much more likely we would end up with baskets of currencies used over one.
Not sure China or Russia is a country that has a "certain degree of moral fibre." I mean if they are then the US is Saintly. The US isnt dropping dumb bombs? The US also continues to cut emissions at a rapid rate while spurring new industries like in the next-generation geothermal space and the nuclear space.
Taiwan has been and remains a tribute state to the USA.
Like the UK, EU, Canada, Australasia and Japan.
But this wider US empire of dependents and tributes is being dismantled because its no longer viable.
Trump is reshoring Taiwans chip production to the USA in anticipation of Taiwan being returned to the mainland. Taiwan is a bargaining chip in Trumps transactional worldview and he will exchange it for whatever gain he can while its still worth something.
USA is increasingly less desirable to be attached to.
USA is no longer a provider of good value for manufactured goods or sales of commodities...but China is.
USA is no longer a reliable trade partner or military ally.
Under Trump you and your democratic rules based values are treated with contempt.
The USA is no longer a reliable empire - it led by a tyrant who abuses the US Constitution and is dismantling the checks and balances that were put in place by the founders of the US 250 years ago.
https://off-guardian.org/2026/01/19/this-is-what-tyranny-looks-like-now-no-crowns-no-coups-just-unchecked-power/
https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/trumps-threats-to-allies-stir-worry-that-u-s-has-lost-its-way-6bc05fcb
'Trump insists he will take possession of Greenland from North Atlantic Treaty Organization ally Denmark—by force if he has to. Ahead of his trip, he posted an image portraying him lecturing European leaders in front of a map in which Greenland, Canada and Venezuela are emblazoned with the Stars and Stripes.
On Thursday, he plans to unveil what he is calling a Board of Peace that aims to supplant the United Nations—and be led by him, in perpetuity.'
You realise Taiwan will be be begging to rejoin the mainland before Trump is finished reshoring chip production?
As will Europe and all of the civilised world.
https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/trumps-threats-to-allies-stir-worry-that-u-s-has-lost-its-way-6bc05fcb
'On Thursday, he plans to unveil what he is calling a Board of Peace that aims to supplant the United Nations—and be led by him, in perpetuity.'
Trump is losing it.
Yes US SWIFT/trade sanctions on Russia have certainly hastened the decline of the USD and rise of the Yuan and thats why Trump has been so desperate to end the war and get Russia back to using USD- good luck with that - it was gonna take a day- now?
Maybe never.
The dumb use of sanctions has demonstrated China can provide a viable set of trade, trade payments and supply chain alternatives to the US.
USA/USD/SWIFT is no longer the only game in town.
Anyone can be a terrorist but maintaining credible super power status requires a certain degree of moral fibre and dropping dumb bombs denying climate change and generally acting like a sociopathic mafia bully does not cut it.
Its all downhill from here, sadly, for the US empire...with Trump at the helm.