This month, Chinese military flights near Taiwan reached an all-time high. In a single day in September, aircraft from the People’s Liberation Army crossed into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone more than 100 times. As China’s campaign of military intimidation toward the self-governing island reaches new heights, it’s important to remember why U.S. support for the island nation is more vital than ever.
Deterring China from launching an invasion of Taiwan and dominating the world’s largest market zone is a vital U.S. interest. This is not simply because Taiwan is part of an esoteric global struggle between democracies and autocracies, but because its loss to China would have grave consequences for American security and prosperity.
Popularly dubbed “the world’s most dangerous flashpoint,” Taiwan is rarely far from the headlines. In recent years, under Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping, China’s rhetoric and military intimidation tactics aimed at the island have grown more aggressive and escalatory, sounding alarm bells in Washington and among America’s regional allies.
In 2021, Admiral Phil Davidson, head of the Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) warned that the PRC threat to Taiwan would manifest “in the next six years.” Last year, Secretary of State Antony Blinken lamented that “Beijing [is] determined to pursue reunification [with Taiwan] on a much faster timeline” than previously thought.
Even if no formal invasion timeline has been set, there is no denying China’s rhetoric and activities have grown increasingly provocative. In recent years, it has conducted live-fire missile tests and military exercises around the island
