question: Why does China have such a fixation on small harmless nations like Tibet and Taiwan?
comment: Taiwan : Since 1912 China was called the Republic of China. This government fought an communist insurgency between 1927 to 1936, but after the Japanese invaded, there was an uneasy truce/alliance to present a common front against the Japanese. After the surrender of the Japanese, there was a huge power vacuum in China and the Communist insurgency was now a lot bigger, attracting a lot of people in their rank to fight the Japanese. So after WW2, the insurgency developed into a civil war. The Communist constantly attacked the capital, forcing the the ''official'' Chinese government to keep retreated back until they had to flee on the island of Taiwan by the end of 1949. About 2 million people were transferred on Taiwan, while the local population at the time was 6 million. This government still had loyal forces on the mainland controlling region like Tibet and several others, but all of those eventually fall under the communist control by 1951. So Taiwan consider themselves the legitimate government of China, in exile. While Communist China consider Taiwan the last remaining land they need to take control of to finish the civil war, but that the US protect. For Tibet, the region was under Chinese control for a long long time, but the region have a different culture and language. Tibet have a independence movement and the authoritarian government of China won't allow them. It's not just because they are bad guys either, the deep root reason is that Tibet are the source of most of rivers in China and provide a geographical protection against any outside forces. Losing Tibet, would put China at risk of outside influence. For example, an independent Tibet could ally themselves with an enemy of China, which would allow them to put forces right next to the rich region of central China, or construct Dam, limiting the water going in the Rivers that go through China, which could put the agriculture of China in danger. 1 Billion of people is a lot of people to feed and a great risk of revolt if food supply decrease.
passages: Our Party [the Guomindang] takes the development of the weak and small and resistance to the strong and violent as our sole and most urgent task. This is even more true for those groups which are not of our kind [Ch. fei wo zulei zhe]. Now the people of Mongolia and Tibet are closely related to us, and we have great affection for one another: our common existence and common honor already have a history of over a thousand years. [...] Mongolia and Tibet's life and death are China's life and death. China absolutely cannot cause Mongolia and Tibet to break away from China's territory, and Mongolia and Tibet cannot reject China to become independent. At this time, there is not a single nation on earth except China that will sincerely develop Mongolia and Tibet.
   Tibetan, Mongolian, and Xinjiang independence was severely restricted by the Communist Party in the 1950s under Mao Zedong, with the forced annexation of Inner Mongolia, Tibet, and Xinjiang back into mainland China, leading to many protests and riots from the ethnic and religious minorities in the autonomous regions. From this point onwards, there has been a sustained outpouring of secessionist and independence movements from China's autonomous regions.
   Tibet has been called the "Water Tower" of Asia, and China is investing heavily in water projects in Tibet.
   When in the 1930s and 1940s the regents displayed negligence in affairs, the Kuomintang Government of the Republic of China took advantage of this to expand its reach into the territory.
  
  Section::::History.:From 1950 to present.
   In 2000, the Chinese government launched its Western Development Strategy aimed at boosting the economies of its poorer western regions. The strategy has featured a strong bias for large-scale, capital-intensive projects such as the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. Such projects however, have roused fears of facilitating military mobilisation and Han migration. Robert Barnett reports that the economic stimulus was used by hardliners to stimulate Han migration to Tibet as a control mechanism, and that 66% of official posts in Tibet are held by Han. There is still an ethnic imbalance in appointments and promotions to the civil and judicial services in the Tibetan Autonomous Region, with disproportionately few ethnic Tibetans appointed to these posts.
   According to Michael C. Davis, Professor of Law at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the analysis by the association of indexes among 34 cases of territorial autonomy in the world reveals that Chinese policy of autonomy in Tibet is only nominal. A severe deficiency of real autonomy appears in the system established by the Chinese government. The TJC report highlights areas of autonomy in the world: cultural affairs, education, health and social services, taxes, economy, natural resources, environmental policies, posts and telecommunications, transport and the judicial police. These areas are covered by local autonomies in Chinese politics at Hong Kong, Macao, and that promised to Taiwan. In all these areas, the Government of the Tibet Autonomous Region is subordinate to the central government. For J. M. Mukhi, lawyer at the Supreme Court of India, the study of Eva Ezer, encyclopedic in scope, shows that there is little hope that Tibetans can benefit from self-governance without democratic change China.
   The China Western Development policy was adopted in 2000 by the central government to boost economic development in western China, including the Tibet Autonomous Region.
  
  BULLET::::- Lhasa Economic and Technological Development Zone
  
  Section::::Tourism.
   General Ma Fuxiang, the chairman of the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission stated that Mongolia and Tibet were an integral part of the Republic of China, arguing:
   The July 1985 document also cites the structure of Tibetan society as a primary source of trouble for the Chinese. Tibetan society revolves around the Lamaist Church, and its spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama was not merely a spiritual guide, but a political and ideological leader. Tibetan monasteries were more than just houses of worship, they were the economic and political centers of Tibetan society, which allowed the clergy to wield considerable power. The clergy was conservative and extremely traditionalistic. This traditionalism meant that any deviation from traditional Tibetan life was strictly opposed. Altogether, the author suggests that the socialization of Tibet may be "prolonged" despite the substantial investments of the Chinese to integrate the area. Tibetan's spirit for independence, the country's fractured and isolated population, the harsh Chinese policies, and the Chinese military occupation all contribute to the problems that the Chinese have had in controlling the country.
   Our Party [the Guomindang] takes the development of the weak and small and resistance to the strong and violent as our sole and most urgent task. This is even more true for those groups which are not of our kind [Ch. fei wo zulei zhe]. Now the peoples [minzu] of Mongolia and Tibet are closely related to us, and we have great affection for one another: our common existence and common honor already have a history of over a thousand years... Mongolia and Tibet's life and death are China's life and death. China absolutely cannot cause Mongolia and Tibet to break away from China's territory, and Mongolia and Tibet cannot reject China to become independent. At this time, there is not a single nation on earth except China that will sincerely develop Mongolia and Tibet."
   Section::::History.:Chronicle of Events.
  
  BULLET::::- 1999: the "Western Development" guidelines are clarified
  
  BULLET::::- 2000: the "Western Development" plan begins
  
  BULLET::::- 2001: the official website of the "Western Development" program is launched
  
  BULLET::::- 2002: construction of the "West-East Gas Pipeline" begins
  
  BULLET::::- 2003: the policy of "Returning Grazing Land to Grassland" comes into effect
  
  BULLET::::- 2004: the Law on Promoting Western Development is listed on the legislative plan of the 10th National People's Congress
  
  BULLET::::- 2005: compulsory education tuition and fees become exempt in western areas
  
  BULLET::::- 2006: the Qinghai-Tibet railway begins operation
   Section::::Taiwan.
   Tibet, the homeland of 7 million Tibetans, about half of whom live in the Tibetan Autonomous Region ("Tibet") and slightly more in the neighboring provinces of Qinghai, Yunnan, Gansu and Sichuan, lies for the most part within the People's Republic of China. For centuries Tibet resisted Chinese influence and control, with varying effectiveness. During periods when China was dominant, little more was involved than a Chinese governor and a garrison in Lhasa and Chinese administration in border areas such as Amdo and Kham with mixed populations of Tibetans and Chinese; no attempt was made by the Chinese to displace the Tibetan aristocracy or political and religious institutions of Tibet. From 1912 until 1950, Tibet experienced a period of "de facto" independence from Chinese rule, following the fall of the Qing dynasty. However, in 1950 the Chinese successfully incorporated Tibet and its outlying areas, occupied it, displaced Tibetan political and religious institutions, and assumed governance of the nation. Tibetan resistance since 1950 has taken a variety of forms, including instances of armed resistance that has been described as terrorism by Chinese authorities.
   In a 2011 report, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, criticized China’s nomad resettlement policies as overly coercive and said they led to “increased poverty, environmental degradation and social breakdown.”
   There are three notable consequences of the Chinese concept of peaceful coexistence. First of all, in contrast with the Soviet concepts of the mid-1970s, the Chinese concepts include the encouragement of global free trade. Second, the Chinese concept of peaceful coexistence places a large emphasis on national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and thus moves by the United States to promote democracy and human rights are seen in this framework as hostile. Finally, as the PRC does not consider Taiwan to be sovereign, the concept of peaceful coexistence does not extend to Taiwan, and efforts by other nations, particularly the United States, to involve itself in PRC-Taiwan relations are seen as hostile actions in this framework.
   As of the late nineties, the Chinese did not appear to be trying to monitor the United States Pacific Command to the same extent as does Russia. In future, this had depended, in part, on the status of Taiwan.
  
  Section::::Military intelligence.:Joint Staff Department.:Fourth Department.
   BULLET::::- Taiwan's social system and economic lifestyle would be respected.
  
  BULLET::::- Taiwan's private property rights, belief systems, and "legitimate rights and interests" would be safeguarded.
  
  BULLET::::- The "Taiwan issue" should not be passed down from generation to generation (i.e. reunification should be done promptly).
  
  BULLET::::- The reunification of Taiwan would lead to the "great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation".
  
  Section::::Wolong.
   BULLET::::- 's ("Taiwan") foreign ministry issued a statement saying, "We strongly condemn China's use of force to suppress Tibet and urge the international community to monitor the development in Tibet." The Mainland Affairs Council also condemned the Chinese response.
   "Our Party [the Kuomintang] takes the development of the weak and small and resistance to the strong and violent as our sole and most urgent task. This is even more true for those groups which are not of our kind [Ch. fei wo zulei zhe]. Now the peoples [minzu] of Mongolia and Tibet are closely related to us, and we have great affection for one another: our common existence and common honor already have a history of over a thousand years... Mongolia and Tibet's life and death are China's life and death. China absolutely cannot cause Mongolia and Tibet to break away from China's territory, and Mongolia and Tibet cannot reject China to become independent. At this time, there is not a single nation on earth except China that will sincerely develop Mongolia and Tibet."
   Tibet: Many Tibetans protest and actively support the Dalai Lama who lives in exile in what he calls "autonomous Tibet". The Chinese authorities charge him of promoting Tibetan independence and will not allow him to come back into the country or he will face arrest. In May 2018, a Tibetan activist known as Tashi Wangchuk was sentenced to prison for five years as he voiced his concerns over that Tibetan culture was being destroyed by the Chinese government. Amnesty International denounced this sentencing to be "beyond absurd" but his release is still dated to be in 2021.
   Tourism is also an important sector contributing to the economy of the region. A Report of 2007 records a tourist footfall of 703,000. However, this sector is not fully open and is subject to the permit system controlled by many governmental agencies, and many areas are out of bounds for visitors as they are military zones or sensitive areas.
  
  BULLET::::- Agriculture
   China has been identified as a prima facie vulnerable country of concern, whose people are at significant risk of becoming victims of atrocity. China remains poorly regarded for its handling of internal dissent, especially the brutal crackdowns in Tibet, Xinjiang and the Tiananmen Square massacre.
  
  Section::::Overview.:History.
   The security and strength of the Chinese borders vary depending on the location of the section of the border in question. This is due to the nature of the borders as well as the physical geography of the country. China has a large territory, about the same size as the United States, but the actual distribution of population is highly disproportionate. Sixty percent of the population live on the east coast of China which is only 22 percent of its territory while the other 78 percent lying inland is sparsely populated with ethnic minorities such as Tibetans, Kazakhs, Uighurs, and other Chinese Muslim groups. Many of these groups have little to no loyalty to the central government of China further adding to the strained security of China's borders. The regions of Xinjiang and Tibet in particular harbor strong separatist movements
   Lemay later said that he did not understand human nature as it related to the tragedies inflicted upon the Tibetan people. "I don’t understand why any man on earth would have the tiniest bit of anger toward the Tibetan people. They've been pacific people for centuries; owning an army did not seem to be a priority in their values since they're not interested in the concepts of jealousy, domination, [or] megalomania". However, he wondered, "did their non-violent philosophy serve and help their cause? I don't think so..." The lack of intervention by the world powers was also criticized by Lemay: "The whole world knows Tibet and Tibetan culture is very non-threatening, but nobody puts a real foot down to help them and get the Chinese out of there. The title comes from how I was seeing the ground coloured by suffering".
   Having become economically stronger, China is emulating Taiwan's "money diplomacy", and persuading those countries to cut diplomatic relations with Taiwan and to sway to China's side.
  
  Promising financial help, buying over high government officials, and even getting involved in election campaigns in those countries have become part of their "money diplomacy".
  
  Section::::Culture.
  
presuppositions: Countries like Taiwan and Tibet are harmless to China.
corrections: Taiwan and Tibet are valuable to China for geographical protection and waterway protection .
raw_presuppositions: Countries like Taiwan and Tibet are harmless to China. Countries like Taiwan and Tibet are harmless to China.
raw_corrections: Taiwan and Tibet are valuable to China for geographical protection and waterway protection . Countries like Taiwan and Tibet have caused insurgencies and insurrections against China.