Coercing Taiwan

Abstract Why does CCP propaganda emphasize the memory of Sun Yat-sen during times of significant military mobilization against Taiwan? In this article I argue that the CCP , by instrumentalizing Sun Yat-sen’s memory and role in the development of China, employs the leader’s nationalist message to pursue coercive annexation of Taiwan. The article explains how the use of strategic communication around the figure of Sun Yat-sen legitimizes the CCP strategic aim to annex the island, while at the same time allowing the CCP leadership to frame this objective as one that can and should be achieved without the use of force. I note how this dynamic applied in three distinct instances in 2021, 2022 and 2025. Throughout them, the CCP exploited and abused Sun’s memory and political message while pursuing large-scale military operations to strategically communicate their commitment and intent to annexation.