The Ministry of Justice's Investigation Bureau (MJIB) released a report on Tuesday that said China has been implementing its unification campaign through economic means over the past 23 years. This is not the first time such a conclusion has been reached. But such views have often been brushed aside as paranoia or a groundless conspiracy theory. That the MJIB has reached such a conclusion should give even skeptics a reason to begin feeling alarmed.
In the past, attention was focused on the political and military components of China's unification tactics because they are by nature more likely to incite an uproar both within Taiwan and the international community, creating the risk of disastrous backlash for China. Beijing's campaign to diplomatically isolate Taiwan and its missile deployments are prime examples of such tactics. While China does not appear to have discarded such tactics, it is not at liberty to take things as far as it wants in this regard, unless it is prepared to pay the price.
In contrast, unification through economic means is a much cheaper way to get things done. Once Taiwan's economy becomes dependent on that of China, some people will be quick to get on their knees and beg to return to the "motherland's" bosom through unification. China will be able to not only lure its prey to willingly jump off a cliff, but make them feel grateful for the chance to do so. That the Chinese economy is fattened by Taiwanese investors makes the deal beyond perfect for Beijing.
China obviously did not concoct this economic plot overnight. The Chinese Communist Party rose to power by inciting economically marginalized and destitute farmers and workers. So it knows perfectly well how economic problems can bring about the collapse of governments and reshuffle the world order. But until recently China lacked the economic prowess and means to ensnare Taiwan.
One can only be fascinated with the things that the Chinese government has been willing to do to suck in desperate Taiwanese businesspeople. The list of preferential treatments extended to Taiwanese investors range from favorable tax offers, cheap labor, the opening up of new industries for investments and the establishment of special investment and industrial zones.
Taiwan's increasing vulnerability to China's economic tactics is due both to the sluggish world economy and the government's mishandling of the domestic economy.
The bureau's report also highlighted the potential impact of "cultural unification" on cross-strait unification. There have been two examples of how the cultures of China's alien rulers were eroded through time, resulting in a virtually total assimilation into the Chinese culture -- the Yuan and Ching dynasties. This shows how capable Chinese culture is at engulfing other cultures. Since Taiwanese and Chinese cultures share common roots and features, this kind of unification is very easy. When that happens, any "us-them" distinctions in the mind of the people of Taiwan will be diminished, if not eradicated.
Economic and cultural tactics are just as great a threat as political and military strategies. Unfortunately the government does not appear to have any idea about how to deal with them.
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