unacceptable,but Taipei is equally unequivocal that it will not live under an illiberal People's Republic.A form of federalism in which Taiwan-along with Hong Kong,Macau and China's ethnic- majority regions-maintain substantial autonomy is the most viable way forward. Of course,a workable federal system in China would probably bear little resemblance to the systems of the United States and other Western countries.Instead,it might look more like the arrangements adopted by India,Pakistan,Malaysia and several other Asian countries,where the central government plays a far stronger role than it does in the West,and where many provisions are designed to preserve national unity.India's Constitution,for example,gives the central government power to intervene in local government if the country's integrity is threatened. The great lesson of federalism is that countries can often become stronger by adopting a looser union.If China's leaders want to ensure their country's peace and prosperity over the long run,they would do well to chart a course toward a federal future. Scott Moore is a research fellow at Harvard's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs,where he studies Chinese politics.unacceptable, but Taipei is equally unequivocal that it will not live under an illiberal People’s Republic. A form of federalism in which Taiwan — along with Hong Kong, Macau and China’s ethnic￾majority regions — maintain substantial autonomy is the most viable way forward. Of course, a workable federal system in China would probably bear little resemblance to the systems of the United States and other Western countries. Instead, it might look more like the arrangements adopted by India, Pakistan, Malaysia and several other Asian countries, where the central government plays a far stronger role than it does in the West, and where many provisions are designed to preserve national unity. India’s Constitution, for example, gives the central government power to intervene in local government if the country’s integrity is threatened. The great lesson of federalism is that countries can often become stronger by adopting a looser union. If China’s leaders want to ensure their country’s peace and prosperity over the long run, they would do well to chart a course toward a federal future. Scott Moore is a research fellow at Harvard’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, where he studies Chinese politics