alt Hacker News> China can at least so far be relied upon to not shoot itself in the foot (and take the whole word with it)
Here's the dangerous thing about that: modern CCP China is a newly ascendant world power.
Say what you want about the US today, but when was it at isn't interventionist worst historically-speaking?
Countries don't go to war because their leaders take them to war: they go to war because a sufficient chunk of internal interests support war.
And China has a rather politically-powerful military. Although Xi's recent housecleaning substantially weakened that power.
If China goes to war, it's probably going to be because their economy is in tatters.
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Great powers go to war due to Thucydides Trap. When a hegemon feels their position is threatened by the success of a rising power, they usually try to crush it. https://www.belfercenter.org/programs/thucydidess-trap/thucy...
There is considerable evidence to suggest that the current US President goes to war if it will make him a quick buck.
> If China goes to war, it's probably going to be because their economy is in tatters.
Well, they probably also have to factor in whether invading Taiwan is likely to improve that situation, and I would argue that it's not - China is currently exporting stuff all over the world, so economic sanctions would be very painful for them. And there are lots of countries who would like to have a slice of the manufacturing that China is currently hogging...