China has been doing some saber rattling against Taiwan lately, stating that Taiwanese independence would lead to war. The Chinese still believe that unification is one of their most important national goals.
However, like most closed nations, China’s citizenry have gotten quite a taste of freedom lately, and it is unlikely that a Chinese military action against a peaceful neighbor would be something that many Chinese would support. My guess is that the internal conflict that would be generated by a military action against Taiwan would be enough that the Communist leadership would be unwilling to bear the risk. If anything, the current Party leadership seems to be made of pragmatists who realize that the only chance China has at advancing is through foreign trade and industrialization. An attack against Taiwan is something that would jeopardize all that, and would sever those crucial trade links with the United States. As long as the Party acts in its own self-interest, the Chinese saber rattling towards Taiwan will not result in military action.
