Wretchard has some excellent insights into the limitations on China if they wish to retake Taiwan. I've often heard it postulated that the main limitation was the PLAN's inability to control the Strait of Taiwan after making their landing on the island itself. One of the chief concerns cited is America's ability to control the sea lanes through which VLCC's (Very Large Crude Carriers) can travel. This limitation is, however, a fungible one. If we have a weak willed (read: Democrat) in office, the US Navy will not interdict oil shipments to China. The check on this is the Taiwanese Sumarine force. If the Chinese mean to take Taiwan they would have to make a lightning grab for the island and hope to catch most, if not all, of the sub fleet in port. If one or two boats are at sea they would be able to close the sea lanes bringing not just oil, but many vital goods to China. I will say this has me feeling a bit better about China's political and expansionist ambitions having multiple and serious limitations. In the past I predicted that China would take Taiwan (or at least try to) within the decade. Now, I'm not so sure.
Combine the above with this article about the development and deployment of pebble-bed reactors and I think the two are hand in glove. China is becoming increasingly thirsty for oil. If they cannot slow consumption they have to shift to domestic production. This will allow them more freedom to spend on the PLA and PLAN. They will be better able to whether any interdiction efforts either Taiwan or the US can mount if they try to retake Taiwan. To be sure, the deployment of pebble bed reactors is no small feat. Their grid will have to be updated and expanded on a very very large scale. They creation and deployment of those reactors is not without significant cost either. Those costs will also deplete the pool of available hard currency they can spend on the PLA and other efforts.
It looks to me as if they're in a bit of a box. They won't have enough time to develop either capability in time. I believe the clock is ticking on the current regime for sure and the system in toto as well. There are increasing number of reports of rioting by citizens against government fraud, graft, corruption and poor working conditions. In the past the Chinese have used a "strike hard" policy against the agitators. Should these riots continue at apace the we could see another Velvet Revolution. Information cannot be contained as it once was. Even the North Koreans are seeing that. Once people know that their plight is not the norm and there is a better way they will fight for it. China also has a burgeoning middle class. Once people have a taste for comforts and conveniences that go along with market capitalism, they won't be willing to go back. The "one country, two systems" seemed plausible for a time but no longer. The average Chinese citizen sees that the free market weeds out the corrupt and the inept whereas the government shelters and promotes them.
Throw into this mix the incredible traction Christian Missionaries have been able to produce. By some estimates, China will be 40% Christian within 30 years. If this prediction bears fruit, the implications would be staggering. Perhaps the next pope could do for China what John Paul 2 did for Eastern Europe.
The Chinese have a very long memory and view their history as a coherent tale irrespective of the political system. To them, it's all a continuation of that which came before. They are fiercely nationalistic and put China first whether it is a feudal, communist or democratic China. I believe that however their system changes, the Chinese will likely embrace it.

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