--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It can be argued - and rightly - that…" description: "\"It can be argued - and rightly - that Taiwan is not just another regional issue: after all, the Chinese regard it as part of China. But Taiwan is also ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12b/margaret-thatcher-463_able_it-can-be-argued-and-rightly-that-taiwan_1475664.jpg" --- # It can be argued - and rightly - that Taiwan is not just… ![“It can be argued - and rightly - that Taiwan is not just another regional issue: after all, the Chinese regard it as part of China. But Taiwan is also a regional issue for three reasons. First, the overthrow or even the neutering of democracy in Taiwan, which is what Beijing effectively demands…” quote by Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12b/margaret-thatcher-463_able_it-can-be-argued-and-rightly-that-taiwan_1475664.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12b/margaret-thatcher-463_able_it-can-be-argued-and-rightly-that-taiwan_1475664.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12b/margaret-thatcher-463_able_it-can-be-argued-and-rightly-that-taiwan_1475664.jpg) > “It can be argued - and rightly - that Taiwan is not just another regional issue: after all, the Chinese regard it as part of China. But Taiwan is also a regional issue for three reasons. First, the overthrow or even the neutering of democracy in Taiwan, which is what Beijing effectively demands, would be a major setback for democracy in the region as a whole. Second, if the Chinese were able to get their way by force in Taiwan, they would undoubtedly be tempted to do the same in other disputes. And third, there is no lack of such disputes to provoke a quarrel.” [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Taiwan’s democratic status is crucial for regional stability; its loss would embolden aggression elsewhere. **In simple terms:** Taiwan matters for democracy and peace. Key Takeaway Support democratic Taiwan. Themes democracy geopolitics regional security Mood serious concerned Type political analytical When to use this quote - foreign policy - military planning - human rights advocacy Key Concepts author sovereignty power balance authoritarianism Questions to Reflect On - How can allies deter aggression? - What role does democracy play in peace? A Different Perspective China may resist diplomatic pressure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [China](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/china/) [Chinese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chinese/) [Demand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demand/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues/) [Neutering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neutering/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Setback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/setback/) [Taiwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taiwan/) ## Related quotes > [I think that my emergence as a leader is closely related to the development of Taiwan's democracy. Taiwan's democracy was a gradual development. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsai-ing-wen/i-think-that-my-emergence-as-a-leader-is-closely-related-to-the/) [Tsai Ing-wen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsai-ing-wen/) > [Collectively, we must find points of leverage in order to convince China to improve their treatment of Uighurs, Tibetans, and other minority groups, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-sestak/collectively-we-must-find-points-of-leverage-in-order-to-convince/) [Joe Sestak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-sestak/) > [Even if I were knocked down by one gunshot it wouldn't affect our democracy and I wasn't knocked down and I have great confidence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/even-if-i-were-knocked-down-by-one-gunshot-it-wouldn-t-affect-our/) [Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/) > [There is only one China. Taiwan is not independent. It does not enjoy sovereignty as a nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/there-is-only-one-china-taiwan-is-not-independent-it-does-not-enjoy/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [As I've said many times and publicly, a war between China and Taiwan that involves the United States is a lose-lose-lose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-c-blair/as-i-ve-said-many-times-and-publicly-a-war-between-china-and-taiwan/) [Dennis C. Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-c-blair/) > [The greater concerns in China and Taiwan are on the political side, not on the economic side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-greater-concerns-in-china-and-taiwan-are-on-the-political-side/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The defining issue is that the government in Taiwan was considered to be the government of all of China, and the authorities in Beijing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/the-defining-issue-is-that-the-government-in-taiwan-was-considered-to/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [Taiwan is the Republic of China, the Republic of China is Taiwan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsai-ing-wen/taiwan-is-the-republic-of-china-the-republic-of-china-is-taiwan/) [Tsai Ing-wen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsai-ing-wen/) > [America has made it very clear in several administrations that if there is an attack by China on Taiwan, the United States is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/america-has-made-it-very-clear-in-several-administrations-that-if/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [Basically all the world's computer parts come from the same supply chain that runs from Korea, down through coastal China, over to Taiwan, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/basically-all-the-world-s-computer-parts-come-from-the-same-supply/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [If China do take economic measures to apply pressure to Taiwan, they will have to think about the price that they are going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsai-ing-wen/if-china-do-take-economic-measures-to-apply-pressure-to-taiwan-they/) [Tsai Ing-wen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsai-ing-wen/) > [“It was a rotten time to try to be a man in America. Until Blue came along I’d never even spent time around a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sol-luckman/it-was-a-rotten-time-to-try-to-be-a-man-in-america-until-blue-came/) [Sol Luckman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sol-luckman/) > [What is it about men, anyway? You can't live with 'em and the law frowns on neutering them. It's not exactly a win-win situation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-andersen/what-is-it-about-men-anyway-you-can-t-live-with-em-and-the-law-frowns/) [Susan Andersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-andersen/) > [I had been involved in animal welfare groups, but DDAL presented an opportunity to actually create and pass legislation aimed at issues which really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-day/i-had-been-involved-in-animal-welfare-groups-but-ddal-presented-an/) [Doris Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-day/) > [“There is a tendency to oversimplify the issue of spay/neuter and to promote the essential benefits without recognizing that our animals do suffer some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-pierce/there-is-a-tendency-to-oversimplify-the-issue-of-spay-neuter-and-to/) [Jessica Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-pierce/) ## More by Margaret Thatcher > [When you stop a dictator, there are always risks. But there are greater risks in not stopping a dictator.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/when-you-stop-a-dictator-there-are-always-risks-but-there-are-greater/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [Ideally, when Christians meet, as Christians do, to take counsel together, their purpose is not ( or should not be) to ascertain what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/ideally-when-christians-meet-as-christians-do-to-take-counsel/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [There are dangers in consensus: it could be an attempt to satisfy people holding no particular views about anything. ... No great party can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/there-are-dangers-in-consensus-it-could-be-an-attempt-to-satisfy/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [If it's me against 48, I feel sorry for the 48.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/if-it-s-me-against-48-i-feel-sorry-for-the-48/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [ \[When asked how it felt to be a female prime minister:\] I don't know: I've never experienced the alternative. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/when-asked-how-it-felt-to-be-a-female-prime-minister-i-don-t-know-i/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [It is sometimes said that because of our past we, as a people, expect too much and set our sights too high. That is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/it-is-sometimes-said-that-because-of-our-past-we-as-a-people-expect/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [Unless we change our ways and our direction, our greatness as a nation will soon be a footnote in the history books, a distant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/unless-we-change-our-ways-and-our-direction-our-greatness-as-a-nation/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [I don't think any woman in power really has a happy life unless she's got a large number of women friends ... because you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/i-don-t-think-any-woman-in-power-really-has-a-happy-life-unless-she-s/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [People from my sort of background needed grammar schools to compete with children from privileged homes like Shirley Williams and Anthony Wedgwood Benn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/people-from-my-sort-of-background-needed-grammar-schools-to-compete/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [What is success? I think it is a mixture of having a flair for the thing that you are doing; knowing that it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/what-is-success-i-think-it-is-a-mixture-of-having-a-flair-for-the/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [Personal virtue is no substitute for political hard-headedness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/personal-virtue-is-no-substitute-for-political-hard-headedness/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [The Government wants a peaceful settlement. But we totally reject a peaceful sell-out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/the-government-wants-a-peaceful-settlement-but-we-totally-reject-a/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [Major international interventions are doomed unless the US is directly or indirectly involved. But if American politicians, officials and servicemen are to be put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/major-international-interventions-are-doomed-unless-the-us-is/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [We have made too much of one or two people, and we think that they can win or lose elections for us. Don't be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/we-have-made-too-much-of-one-or-two-people-and-we-think-that-they-can/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [I pay tribute to John Major's achievement in persuading the other 11 Community Heads of Government that they could move ahead to a Social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/i-pay-tribute-to-john-major-s-achievement-in-persuading-the-other-11/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) [Explore all 539 Margaret Thatcher quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) Greg Perry > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It can be argued - and rightly - that Taiwan is not just another regional issue: after all, the Chinese regard it as part of China. But Taiwan is also a regional issue for three reasons. First, the overthrow or even the neutering of democracy in Taiwan, which is what Beijing effectively demands, would be a major setback for democracy in the region as a whole. 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