my family are Taiwanese-Americans. I was born in the US, but I grew up in a Taiwanese/Chinese household. I write both Taiwanese and Chinese because my grandparents were Chinese nationalists (KMT) who fought and lost to the communists and left China with Chiang Kaishek when he retreated to Taiwan. We’re from Guangdong.
Even though my grandparents spent most of their adult life in Taiwan and America, they still identify as Chinese. They still vote for the KMT and consider Taiwan a part of a democratic China, not the PRC but the ROC.
I don’t identify with an authoritarian China that suppresses freedom of speech, press and religion, commits cultural genocide against the Uyghurs, dilutes Tibetan culture and wants to annex democratic Taiwan. I wouldn’t like living in a country like that.
But that’s exactly what an uncle proposed me: some months ago he bought a house in Guangdong, a house he offers to our whole family. If I want, he says, I can live with him for free, he’s even offering me to let me live at his condo when he’s not in China (travels to America and Taiwan a lot).
I don’t see it: I’m politically active, actually support Taiwanese independence and I don’t believe I could keep my mouth shut if a Chinese starts telling me that Taiwan is a part of China every time I tell them I an actually Taiwanese. The conversation could go south really fast if they start to repeat communist propaganda about helping Uyghurs escape poverty (just an example out of several). I could land in jail.
My uncle says I should forget about politics and enjoy the scenery and local food. I still don’t see it.
Am I a moron? I’d only have to pay for the flight and food for as long as I live in China, a country cheaper than both Taiwan and the US
Since OP stated they are a natural-born US citizen, this scenario would be a significant escalation towards authoritarianism if it does happen.
Even doing this to a naturalized citizen would be an escalation.
Right now, most “border surprise” cases involve green card holders, not citizens, who have old criminal charges that rendered them deportable a long time ago. Just no previous federal government has cared enough to go find them and put them into removal proceedings.
Ah yeah… maybe that’s just my anxiety/paranoia kicking in, but do remember to pay attention to the news and assess the situation for yourselves.
But even just a 48 hour detainment (which would probably happen very often under this admin, especially later on in these 4 years) is a very shitty experience that no one should have to deal with, that along with potentially belonging being seized and/or malware being planted on your devices. Even just getting detained is too much hassle to be worth travelling IMO, I mean unless you can find some country (like an actually better country such as those in the EU, definitely not PRC) that lets you stay until after January 20, 2029 and can avoid having to go through US re-entry.