![]() “Taiwan is a cornerstone of the global economy and a vital partner of the United States,” House lawmakers wrote in a recent report outlining recommendations to strengthen Taiwan’s defense. Democrats and Republicans share the view that the Chinese Communist Party is an all-around threat to U.S. support for Taiwan in the face of aggression from China is a rare area of bipartisan support in Washington. to intervene is sobering, with tens of thousands of American forces killed and dozens of ships and hundreds of aircraft destroyed, according to a war games analysis carried out by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.īut U.S. “Many congressmen ask our Minister of Defense, ‘How long you hold your position?’ Many ministers have different answer: Maybe someone say four months, maybe someone say two weeks, it’s according to their thinking, not very optimistic calculation,” he said. bombers from Guam could arrive faster, or an aircraft carrier from Japan would take two days. From Hawaii - a shorter time frame, about a week or eight days. dispatches reinforcements.Īn aircraft carrier from San Diego? Taiwan will have to hold out for two weeks, he said. Ming-Sheh, the security researcher, ticks off a list of scenarios describing how long Taiwan would need to hold out depending on from where the U.S. forces would come to Taiwan’s defense in the event of a Chinese invasion, and the island’s ability to withstand such aggression is heavily reliant on U.S. President Biden has said at least four times that U.S. solidarity to Taiwan in 1997.) ‘Not very optimistic’ They ride around the city on bikes or their motor-scooter, often toting their small dog, Gingrich (named after the Republican House Speaker who made a famous trip of U.S. Dinner out can include sampling foods in the winding aisles of the night market or taking a short ferry ride to a seafood restaurant on the island of Cijin. Generally, the couple find their lives in Kaohsiung - and Taiwan in general - relaxed, convenient and lively. sometime in the future, they’d like to make that decision themselves and not under duress. They’ve decided against buying a house in Taiwan or starting a business, concerned over the unpredictable geopolitical situation. This includes whether travel warnings are issued for Americans to leave the island if major companies begin evacuating their staff if Chinese troop buildups are reported across the Taiwan Strait if Beijing issues ultimatums against Taiwan or if large-scale sanctions are imposed. The intelligence surrounding the buildup before Russia’s war also influences how the Smiths evaluate the warning signs of a possible Chinese invasion. Alison and Aaron Smith at the former British Consulate Residence in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. There’s shelf-stable food and water, a solar-powered battery pack to charge cellphones, a first-aid kit, utility gloves to protect against sharp debris and a radio. In the wake of Russia’s invasion against Ukraine, Alison put together a “go-bag” in case of an emergency. Every time I talk about politics with my friends or family, ‘you are strange, alarmist.’” “Tension between Taiwan and China is number one, but for my friends: reduce the cost of the house, the economy. But since Taiwanese-China is lasting about 60 years, I think it’s gonna last a little longer.”įor Alison Smith, in Kaohsiung, how the politicians talk about China is the priority issue that will determine her vote. “I think it’s like China and U.S.A., Taiwan is in the middle. Most of the people in my age range think of Taiwanese, don’t want to identify as Chinese,” she said.Īnd is the U.S. “My parents they might think they are from China, they and their parents, but for me, I think I’m Taiwanese. She said she talks with her family about the threat from China and how they would react in the event of conflict and sees some generational differences on the issue. “I only have two options, KMT and DPP, I still chose DPP.” Hsu was born and raised in Taipei and, even though she’s disappointed with the last three years of the Democratic Progressive Party government (DPP), she’s likely to vote for them in January presidential elections, viewing them as a better option than the most prominent opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT). “During the COVID-19, the government shows that I cannot trust them anymore,” said Hsu, a 32-year-old waiter at the Kavalan Whisky bar in Taipei - the award-winning, domestic whisky is a point of pride for Taiwanese even as the country is more renowned for its semiconductor production.
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