Taiwan has conducted regular defense drills, such as the annual Han Kuang Exercises to mock an invasion by China, since 1984. Photo: Central News Agency
Yao-Yuan Yeh, Austin Wang, Charles K.S. Wu, and Fang-Yu Chen, National Interest: Would Taiwan Fight China Without U.S. Support?
It is in the interests of the United States to send reassuring signals to the public in Taiwan about the U.S. determination to assist and defend Taiwan.
Policymakers in the United States have long believed that U.S. assistance to Taiwan, such as arms sales and an implicit promise to militarily assisting Taipei if China invades Taiwan, is critical to maintaining the peace and security across the Taiwan Strait. Such belief, however, has recently been challenged. Rapid advancements in the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) military technology and capabilities along with the worsening U.S.-China and cross-Strait relations have made it costlier for the United States to defend Taiwan. Since China perceives Taiwan to be a part of its territory, many in the United States worry that a conflict across the Strait could escalate into a nuclear confrontation when the United States is involved . To prevent such a scenario from happening, some even advocate using Taiwan as a leverage to exchange for compromises with China .
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WNU Editor: I am sure the Taiwanese would fight .... even without U.S. support.
