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As I often say, China would avoid wars at any cost, however, if there is one thing that can forces it go to war, that's if taiwan declares independence. Even if the entire west supports Taiwan, China would fight to the end.
ok, assuming you are not trolling and just want to know the truth.
Neither Mao nor Chiang were separatists. Yes, they were political enemies but they both believed there could be only "ONE CHINA". Chiang Kai-shik is a traditional and patriotic social elite, and he would rather die than declaring Taiwan an independent country, because that means he would be the one that made the separating permanent. The fact is he thought staying in Taiwan was only temporary and he waited decades to go back and reconquer the mainland (unfortunately never succeeded, especially the US didn't back him any more). Declaring independence would mean he wouldn't be able to do that because that would be invading a foreign country
At that time, there is a tacit mutual understanding that China could not be separated, and Taiwan should not be considered a "country" - even in Chiang's mind. China claims Taiwan and Taiwai claims the entire China mainland too.
Also keep in mind in 1949, 1950, most Taiwanese, at least the upper class, were all from mainland China, with strong emotional attachment to it (unlike today) and very few of them would tolerate such a seperatist agenda, Many of them still had families and relatives on the mainland. So whether emotionally or practically, independence was not a possibility.
You'd think that at some point Chiang Kai-shik and the KMT would have realized that was a pipe dream.
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