This is John Batchel, a conversation with Anne Stevenson Yang, author of Wild Ride, about the rise of the Chinese miracle and the decline of the Chinese miracle.

However, Anne is in Taiwan, speaking of how the Taiwanese regard the threats that are so routine out of Beijing,

about China overwhelming and acquiring and taking possession of

and conquering Taiwan.

Anne speaks to that.

She speaks to the Chinese military and its relationship with Xi Jinping, the president

and general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party.

And Stevenson Yang on an unlikely scenario of kinetic warfare on Taiwan by the People's Liberation Army.

More of this later.

I think that's exactly right, Gordon.

I think that analysts generally focus much too much on the competence of

Xi Jinping's military and how many weapons it has and whether it has naval capabilities, and that

isn't the issue at all. Political control is an important issue, but also there won't, I think it's very unlikely that there will be a

decision to, you know, directly invade because, you know, China would be like the dog that

catches the car after chasing the cans, you know, what would they do with a ground war against

people they consider their own people for 20 years.

It's worth noting for the rest of the world, although China keeps denying this, that China

has never actually held the territory of Taiwan.