The U.S. and China are in tension over Taiwan. But this is not a legal antagonism, founded on some poor understanding of Taiwan’s status. It is instead a strategic antagonism over mutually conflicting long-term political, military and economic objectives. The Sino-American relationship hinges on the status of Taiwan as articulated in the 1970s. The …
A Guarantee to China on Taiwan Would Be Pointless Continue Reading >>
The U.S. submarine fleet is in a dire state. The U.S. doesn’t have the domestic infrastructure to repair and sustain its existing subs, much less expand the fleet. America needs to get creative to sustain its undersea advantage. The Navy should procure conventionally powered submarines from U.S. allies, namely Japan …
The Sorry State of America’s Submarine Fleet Continue Reading >>
The US has strategic interests in Taiwan, in part because of its geopolitical location in the center of the First Island Chain; in part because it is a bulwark against a potentially expansionist China, a country with multiple territorial claims over many islands in the region that belong to other …
An Industrial Tripwire Approach for Saving Taiwan Continue Reading >>
During his recent visit to China, Secretary of State Antony Blinken repeatedly asked his hosts to set up a military-to-military crisis communications hotline. They declined. USINDOPACOM commander, Admiral John Aquilino complained earlier this year that the Chinese were ignoring his requests to establish direct communications channels with the Chinese military People’s Liberation Army (PLA) regional commands. And Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was rebuffed when he …
The Chinese Military Won’t Talk To the US ー So What? Continue Reading >>
A confrontation in the Indo-Pacific between China and Taiwan would have a ground component. Taiwanese forces—ideally aided by American counterparts—would have to resist an amphibious-airborne assault by the People’s Liberation Army. Prevailing in such an engagement would require the ability to hit targets on mainland China to shatter the country’s …
Old-Fashioned Weapons Are a Key to Taiwan’s Defense Continue Reading >>
Okinawa isn’t in the news nearly as much as it was some year’s back, when most reporting focused on noisy protest groups demanding United States’ military forces leave. The Japanese government sometimes even seemed to wish the Americans might go away and only return when needed. Times have changed. Nowadays the …
Okinawa Is Still Strategically Important Continue Reading >>
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that the Americans will be deploying as many as 200 troops to Taiwan to serve in training and advisory roles to Taiwan’s military. This is a good development. If properly deployed, a hundred or two hundred troops can have a positive, even outsized, effect. Among other …
US and Taiwan Militaries Doing More Together, but There’s a Catch Continue Reading >>
Yorktown Institute president Seth Cropsey was referenced in the Wall Street Journal’s January 29th editorial, Telling the Truth About Possible War Over Taiwan, concerning Gen. Michael Minihan’s belief that war will break out over Taiwan in 2025. “Former naval officer Seth Cropsey explained on these pages last week that America isn’t …
Taiwan’s ruling party has a new leader, and the change bodes ill for peace in the Indo-Pacific. Vice President Lai Ching-te, a staunch proponent of the island’s independence, took over chairmanship of the Democratic Progressive Party last week from President Tsai Ing-wen. She stepped down as party leader after the …
Yonaguni is a small island, part of the Ryukyus island chain, that is close to Taiwan. In our book Stopping a Taiwan Invasion we suggested putting HIMARS on Yonaguni. It seems the Biden administration, despite support from the Marines, is opposing HIMARS for Yonaguni. That has left the Marines out of the picture …
