At first glance, former president Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) visit to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) seems to be a step to “ensure peace and avoid war.”
However, Ma’s speeches during the trip regarding the “one China” narrative help justify China’s military expansionism and put Taiwan at risk. Ma provides the PRC with a political discourse to rationalize an invasion of Taiwan, which resembles the rhetoric applied by Nazi Germany on the annexation of Austria and Russian President Vladimir Putin on invading Ukraine.