ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the cross-Strait military balance and whether the People's Liberation Army (PLA) could meet its military objectives to achieve unification. It places in the context of Beijing's broader geostrategic objectives in East Asia, and its military strategy of denying the USA access to the first island chain and the defence of its near seas. The chapter examines the preferential economic agreements between China and Taiwan, and the successes and failures of creating a congenial atmosphere for political unification. It also examines the divergent domestic political situations in China and Taiwan – Chinese nationalism is rising, yet on the other side of the Strait Taiwanese people increasingly identify themselves as being purely Taiwanese, and the desire to maintain the status quo is also raising. The chapter concludes with an assessment of China's strategy towards Taiwan, whether unification will be achieved in the near future and what might happen if this is not achieved through peaceful means.
