Taiwan: A Rift Among Great Powers

In a previous essay, written during the current crisis over Taiwan and published last week, the position of the People’s Republic of China, under the leadership of Xi Jinping, was described in its power struggle against the United States and the danger of falling into the so-called ‘Thucydides Trap.’

Through references from various specialized authors, a summary of China’s view regarding the U.S. (the five verbs), Xi’s grand strategy (the ten circles), and the evolution of Chinese diplomacy (from the hide and bide to game on) was provided, along with the strategy employed by China in recent years to achieve its objectives without resorting to military confrontation (‘strategic patience’).

To advance the analysis, this time we will focus on the historical evolution that explains today’s visions and attitudes, particularly from China’s perspective, the efforts of rapprochement and integration with China that facilitated its current economic growth and power, and the description of the United States’ grand strategy in the current period, concluding with a reflection on this expression and the rift among the world’s great powers.