Comment by mdp2021 | Hacker News Reader

Comment by mdp2021 | Hacker News Reader

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> it's also possibly the most emotional one for the Chinese. Large portions of the population support reunification

Some of us have difficulties in understanding the mindset: if some population wants one system, and is unavailable to be part of a different system (they would have moved, would not they), how do those "reunification supporters" on the other side believe, psychologically, that a system change is imaginable? They believe that coercion can be an effective solution? That "the others will adapt"? If so, that the new configuration will be stable (like a model of energy states)? It does not sound sound, in these ways - it may sound like "early stopping" in thoughts.

Reunification means that both side recognize that they're Chinese. Things like systems or ideology are not that important and can be worked out. They could have different governments. In fact a federation solution was proposed (and rejected) in the 80s.

Furthermore, the Chinese sense of history is much longer. There are many examples in Chinese history in which some territory splitted off and then reunified later. So things like "the configuration won't be stable" wouldn't be Chinese thinking. To the Chinese, splitting off is the unstable configuration.

Given how the current Taiwan situation came to be, many Chinese view the Taiwan government as relatives with whom they've had a fight, and whom — after losing — bunkered down in the basement. The basement is still part of the house. They're still part of the family, so let's not be too cruel to them and seek peace. But if they no longer claim to be part of the family, then kick them out.

> that both side recognize that they're Chinese [...] But if they no longer claim to be part of the family

Don't they all consider themselves Han people? How do they configure their identity? Their ethnic and historical ties do not appear to be severable.

Younger taiwanese people think of themselves less and less "chinese" or "han" or whatever label we would like to use

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