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Is War Over Taiwan Inevitable?

As Xi Jinping prepares his nation for war, he also wants assurances of a “slam-dunk”

HUALIEN, TAIWAN - JULY 23: Taiwan President Lai Ching-te inspects an exercise of casualty triage and medical care during Han Kuang military drills at Hualien Air Force Base. (Photo by Annabelle Chih/Getty Images)

BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT – Can war be avoided over Taiwan? It’s a question complicated by the opaque nature of decision-making in China, the global economic importance of Taiwan, and political uncertainty in the U.S., among other issues. It may also be the most important geo-strategic question of our time.

The reunification of Taiwan with mainland China has been a core tenet for Beijing since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, and China’s current leader, Xi Jinping, has suggested force may be required to make it happen.

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