of state meeting since the 1949 Communist Revolution. Their complicated split has caused

an endless series of problems, the most serious of which is the threat of China annexing Taiwan

as its own. So we wanted to know, what would happen if China and Taiwan went to war?

Well, it’s important to understand why China is set on reunifying with Taiwan. The 1949

Revolution forced the standing Chinese government to retreat onto the island of Taiwan, while

communist forces took over mainland China, establishing the present day People’s Republic

of China. Meanwhile, the retreated government in Taiwan maintained that THEY were still

the legitimate government of China.

Today, the primary question surrounding Taiwan's future is whether it will establish itself

as an independent cultural and political identity from China, or if mainland China will forcefully

reunify Taiwan into the People’s Republic. This emphasis on reunification is even in

China’s constitution. It states that Taiwan is part of China, and that all Chinese people

have a duty to reunify the two. On the other hand, Taiwan’s constitution prohibits changing

the country’s borders without legislative support and a public referendum. Tensions

were flared most recently in 2005, when China passed an “anti-secession law” promising

to use “non-peaceful means” to ensure that Taiwan not seek independence.

So what would happen if China decided to use those “non-peaceful means” to force occupy

Taiwan and, in their eyes, “reclaim it”? Well, in terms of pure military alone, to

say it is no contest would be an understatement. Taiwan’s military ranks about 15th worldwide,

on par with Canada. But China has the third most powerful military in the world, with

nearly 5 million active troops compared to Taiwan’s roughly 3 million. Moreover, China

blows Taiwan away in their total number of military equipment like ships, planes and

tanks. Perhaps China’s biggest advantage is financial, as they spend about 15 times

as much as Taiwan on defense, roughly 145 billion dollars a year.

But despite China’s military superiority, Taiwan may have a secret weapon: the United

States. Now, it is important to note that technically, the US does not support Taiwanese

independence. But they also oppose further Chinese aggression in the region. When the

United States switched allegiances in 1979, from recognizing Taiwan as the legitimate

China to recognizing mainland China, they formed a diplomatic agreement with Taiwan.

In the Taiwan Relations Act, the US effectively promises to provide military equipment to

protect Taiwan, and to date, the US is Taiwan’s largest arms supplier. During Barack Obama’s

term, the US sold Taiwan nearly 20 billion dollars worth of weapons. While there is no

DIRECT mutual defense treaty with Taiwan, it would not be uncharacteristic for the US

to help Taiwan in the face of unwarranted aggression.

Luckily, as evidenced by the recent head of state meeting, relations between Taiwan and

China have been improving. Cooperation in transportation, communication, and commerce

have brought them closer together, making it considerably less likely that China launches

an invasion. With the uncertainty of American involvement, it would be a risky move.

If you want a more in-depth look at the full history behind why Taiwan and China hate each

other, check out our video. Thanks for checking out TestTube News! If you haven’t subscribed

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