---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The PRC is the big brother in this…"
description: "\"The PRC is the big brother in this relationship, and it has the capacity to be generous to Taiwan on this issue in a manner that might do much to defus..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a12/william-kirby-45647_big_the-prc-is-the-big-brother-in-this-relat_3111435.jpg"
---

#  The PRC is the big brother in this relationship, and it…

![“The PRC is the big brother in this relationship, and it has the capacity to be generous to Taiwan on this issue in a manner that might do much to defuse that issue internally in Taiwan.” quote by William Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a12/william-kirby-45647_big_the-prc-is-the-big-brother-in-this-relat_3111435.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a12/william-kirby-45647_big_the-prc-is-the-big-brother-in-this-relat_3111435.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a12/william-kirby-45647_big_the-prc-is-the-big-brother-in-this-relat_3111435.jpg)

> “The PRC is the big brother in this relationship, and it has the capacity to be generous to Taiwan on this issue in a manner that might do much to defuse that issue internally in Taiwan.”

[William Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kirby/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote suggests China could use generosity toward Taiwan to reduce internal tensions on the island.

**In simple terms:** China could help ease Taiwan’s internal disputes through goodwill.

Key Takeaway

Consider diplomatic generosity as a conflict‑reduction tool.

Themes

geopolitics diplomacy China‑Taiwan relations conflict resolution

Mood

cautious analytical

Type

political strategic

When to use this quote

- government negotiations
- cross‑strait talks
- public statements
- media analysis

Key Concepts

soft power strategic generosity regional stability

Questions to Reflect On

- How can generosity be balanced with sovereignty concerns?
- What risks arise if goodwill is perceived as manipulation?

A Different Perspective

Generosity may be limited by political goals and domestic pressures.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Big](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big/) [Big brother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-brother/) [Brother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brother/) [Capacity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capacity/) [Capacity Generous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capacity-generous-5434792/) [China](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/china/) [Generous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generous/) [Generous Taiwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generous-taiwan-5434789/) [Internally Taiwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internally-taiwan-5434791/) [Issue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issue/) [Manner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manner/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Much](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/much/) [Relationship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationship/) [Taiwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taiwan/) [Taiwan Issue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taiwan-issue-5434790/)

## Related quotes

> [A war in the Taiwan Strait would destroy China's international relations overnight. It would destroy Chinese - Japanese relations, not to mention Chinese -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kirby/a-war-in-the-taiwan-strait-would-destroy-china-s-international/)

[William Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kirby/)

> [So, anything that avoids a conflict that could draw in, unhappily again, outside powers such as the United States or revisit, for example, Japan's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kirby/so-anything-that-avoids-a-conflict-that-could-draw-in-unhappily-again/)

[William Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kirby/)

> [More and more of the Taiwanese economy is connected with the mainland. There are more and more exchanges taking place. There's no reason to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/more-and-more-of-the-taiwanese-economy-is-connected-with-the-mainland/)

[Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/)

> [Well it did not make excessive sense to say that 20 million people are the recognized government of a billion people that have their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/well-it-did-not-make-excessive-sense-to-say-that-20-million-people/)

[Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/)

> [Taiwan gives a lot of foreign aid to Costa Rica, so it looks like they are basically buying the right to fish, even though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-watson/taiwan-gives-a-lot-of-foreign-aid-to-costa-rica-so-it-looks-like-they/)

[Paul Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-watson/)

> [What China would do, I cannot predict. China has all but given up the claim to the use of force, except in the circumstance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/what-china-would-do-i-cannot-predict-china-has-all-but-given-up-the/)

[Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/)

> [However, I must say that I am very happy to see that we have such a positive result for our first referendum in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/however-i-must-say-that-i-am-very-happy-to-see-that-we-have-such-a/)

[Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/)

> [When I was in Taiwan, I was taught in school that Taiwan is part of China.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-chiu/when-i-was-in-taiwan-i-was-taught-in-school-that-taiwan-is-part-of/)

[Alex Chiu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-chiu/)

> [Taiwan will probably not declare independence. The question isn't independence. The issue is whether Taiwan will declare itself as a sovereign separate state. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/taiwan-will-probably-not-declare-independence-the-question-isn-t/)

[Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/)

> [We will make every effort to unify all ethnic groups, to strengthen belief in Taiwan and to persist in reform.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/we-will-make-every-effort-to-unify-all-ethnic-groups-to-strengthen/)

[Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/)

> [“Is heaven also made in Taiwan? And does Jesus really know how to speak Samoan?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sia-figiel/is-heaven-also-made-in-taiwan-and-does-jesus-really-know-how-to-speak/)

[Sia Figiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sia-figiel/)

> [Taiwan has proven time and time again to be a trusted ally of the United States and a world leader in global health security.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/young-kim/taiwan-has-proven-time-and-time-again-to-be-a-trusted-ally-of-the/)

[Young Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/young-kim/)

> [Self-ruled Taiwan cannot be expected to accept such an affront to the legitimacy of its government and the self-determination of the Taiwanese people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-akin/self-ruled-taiwan-cannot-be-expected-to-accept-such-an-affront-to-the/)

[Todd Akin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-akin/)

> [We will strive to make Taiwan a better place and enable our people to live better lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/we-will-strive-to-make-taiwan-a-better-place-and-enable-our-people-to/)

[Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/)

> [Statuettes of drunken sailors, velvet pictures of island maidens, plastic seashell lamps made in Taiwan. What contempt the people who think up souvenirs have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-johnson/statuettes-of-drunken-sailors-velvet-pictures-of-island-maidens/)

[Diane Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-johnson/)

## More by William Kirby

> [“The world is ruled by such dreams, dreams of impassioned hearts, and improvisations of warm lips, not by cold words linked in chains of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kirby/the-world-is-ruled-by-such-dreams-dreams-of-impassioned-hearts-and/)

[William Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kirby/)

> [The reform of state industry, and most directly related to that, the banking sector, is enormously daunting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kirby/the-reform-of-state-industry-and-most-directly-related-to-that-the/)

[William Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kirby/)

> [“See Naples, and then die!' That was a proud saying, Count, which we used to hear as we cruised under lateen sails about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kirby/see-naples-and-then-die-that-was-a-proud-saying-count-which-we-used/)

[William Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kirby/)

> [I would hope we would begin a series of projects that would do more to bring the different parts of the university together in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kirby/i-would-hope-we-would-begin-a-series-of-projects-that-would-do-more/)

[William Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kirby/)

> [You could argue that war is always an irrational act, and yet many states enter into military conflict out of rational calculation or national…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kirby/you-could-argue-that-war-is-always-an-irrational-act-and-yet-many/)

[William Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kirby/)

> [So, anything that avoids a conflict that could draw in, unhappily again, outside powers such as the United States or revisit, for example, Japan's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kirby/so-anything-that-avoids-a-conflict-that-could-draw-in-unhappily-again/)

[William Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kirby/)

> [And look at the mess that Russia is; most Chinese don't want to follow that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kirby/and-look-at-the-mess-that-russia-is-most-chinese-don-t-want-to-follow/)

[William Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kirby/)

> [A war in the Taiwan Strait would destroy China's international relations overnight. It would destroy Chinese - Japanese relations, not to mention Chinese -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kirby/a-war-in-the-taiwan-strait-would-destroy-china-s-international/)

[William Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kirby/)

[Explore all 9 William Kirby quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kirby/)

## More Big quotes

> [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/)

[Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/)

> [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/)

[Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/)

> [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/)

[Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

> [My mom had very low expectations for me, and she really had a point. I was a big problem at seventeen. If I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/my-mom-had-very-low-expectations-for-me-and-she-really-had-a-point-i/)

[Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/)

> [I have always been a big meta guy because I think the way journalism is practiced in Washington, and the way everyone sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/i-have-always-been-a-big-meta-guy-because-i-think-the-way-journalism/)

[Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/)

> [It's going to be used in the last days to get people to come against Christ, and that's the issue: they come against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-lahaye/it-s-going-to-be-used-in-the-last-days-to-get-people-to-come-against/)

[Tim LaHaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-lahaye/)

> [My parents are divorced, and seeing that was really painful for me. Really painful for me. But that's also a big part of why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/my-parents-are-divorced-and-seeing-that-was-really-painful-for-me/)

[Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/)

> [I always want to do a big finale.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-yuh-nelson/i-always-want-to-do-a-big-finale/)

[Jennifer Yuh Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-yuh-nelson/)

> [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/)

[Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/)

> [So I concentrated on the rhythmic side of things, and therefore left a lot of holes. I didn't want to use big pad chords…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/midge-ure/so-i-concentrated-on-the-rhythmic-side-of-things-and-therefore-left-a/)

[Midge Ure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/midge-ure/)

> [I think a big part of success in football is mental, not physical. How you are inside your head matters more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iker-casillas/i-think-a-big-part-of-success-in-football-is-mental-not-physical-how/)

[Iker Casillas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iker-casillas/)

> [I was always attracted most to joining City, and I am pleased to be at such a good club with such a big ambition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edin-dzeko/i-was-always-attracted-most-to-joining-city-and-i-am-pleased-to-be-at/)

[Edin Dzeko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edin-dzeko/)

> [Making sure that people have access to preventive medicine for the first time ever as a nation? That's a big deal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-schneider/making-sure-that-people-have-access-to-preventive-medicine-for-the/)

[Brad Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-schneider/)

> [If you read 'Lord of the Rings' and dismiss it as a lie because it has orcs and elves, you're missing the whole point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/if-you-read-lord-of-the-rings-and-dismiss-it-as-a-lie-because-it-has/)

[Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/)

> [What I know about Ali Krieger is no moment is ever going to be too big for her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-ellis/what-i-know-about-ali-krieger-is-no-moment-is-ever-going-to-be-too/)

[Jill Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-ellis/)

[Browse all 12,477 Big quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The PRC is the big brother in this relationship, and it has the capacity to be generous to Taiwan on this issue in a manner that might do much to defuse that issue internally in Taiwan.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "William Kirby"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kirby/the-prc-is-the-big-brother-in-this-relationship-and-it-has-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Big"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kirby/the-prc-is-the-big-brother-in-this-relationship-and-it-has-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a12/william-kirby-45647_big_the-prc-is-the-big-brother-in-this-relat_3111435.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a12/william-kirby-45647_big_the-prc-is-the-big-brother-in-this-relat_3111435.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a12/william-kirby-45647_big_the-prc-is-the-big-brother-in-this-relat_3111435.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The PRC is the big brother in this relationship, and it has the capacity to be generous to Taiwan on this…” — William Kirby",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "William Kirby",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kirby/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The PRC is the big brother...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kirby/the-prc-is-the-big-brother-in-this-relationship-and-it-has-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kirby/the-prc-is-the-big-brother-in-this-relationship-and-it-has-the/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
