Illustration by Sam Ward A Chinese invasion of Taiwan would be, even for a proven risk-taker like Xi Jinping, a huge gamble. Its outcome would likely be one of two extremes: a short, sharp victory achieving the Chinese Communist Party’s century-old goal of unifying Taiwan and its 23 million people with the mainland, or a humiliating defeat that would threaten its grip on power. On August 5, 2022, Taiwan's Air Force detected 49 PLA aircraft on the median line of the Taiwan Strait.