China's Nationalism is a Serious Threat

Like any nationalist dictatorship, China's leadership relies upon the false pretext of foreign enemies to justify and strengthen the ruling regime's stranglehold on power. For example, the Chinese government refuses to recognize the freedom and independence of Taiwan, asserting that it alone must rule the whole of China. This claim is absurd for the Taiwanese are under no obligation to surrender their lives or freedom to China's dictators. Nevertheless, as long as China maintains that it has a right to rule Taiwan (and the ruling regime continues to benefit from this claim), there exists a frightening potential for conflict.