TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — UMC founder Robert Tsao (曹興誠) warned Chinese leader Xi Jinping that any attempt to invade Taiwan would bring catastrophic human costs and undermine China’s stability.
In a letter published on Facebook, Tsao drew on historical analogies to highlight the risks of seizing Taiwan. He pointed to the Qin Dynasty’s (221–206 BC) rapid collapse after it unified the six major kingdoms at the time.
The Qin Dynasty lasted for centuries before conquering rival states, but disintegrated within 15 years of unification. It also resulted in brutal internal purges and the violent killing of the last Qin emperor, Ying Ziying.
Tsao argued that this illustrates a recurring pattern: Conquest may achieve short-term political goals, but it also fuels internal instability and accelerates regime breakdown.
Tsao then argued that the Chinese Communist Party’s consolidation of power during the Chinese civil war came at enormous human cost and did not translate into widespread well-being. He cited the persecution of senior CCP leaders during the Cultural Revolution, including Liu Shaoqi and Lin Biao.
Political violence ultimately turns inward, he said, adding that decades of political campaigns normalized brutality and disregard for human life, leaving long-lasting damage to governance.
Tsao said that deep-rooted corruption in China reflects a political culture in which lying, cheating, and abuse of power are not treated as shameful. He said that a “conqueror mentality” and the idea that “political power grows out of the barrel of a gun” foster entitlement among officials, fueling systemic graft even as Beijing wages high-profile anti-corruption campaigns.
Tsao also accused Beijing of distorting history to justify coercing Taiwan. He said that claims Taiwan “has been Chinese territory since ancient times” ignore the country’s Indigenous history and complex past. He also disputed Beijing’s interpretation of key international documents.
The Cairo Declaration addressed the Republic of China, Taiwan's official name, and not the People’s Republic of China, and UN Resolution 2758 concerns representation at the UN rather than Taiwan’s sovereignty, Tsao said.
The letter warned that a military attack on Taiwan would likely trigger international sanctions and isolation at a time when China faces mounting economic challenges, potentially deepening a downward spiral. Tsao urged Xi to embrace political reform and added democratization is the only viable path to long-term stability.
