Biden says US will defend Taiwan if China attacks

submitted by TheJamesRocket from self.debatealtright

sorted by:
top
newinsightfulfun
you are viewing a single comment's thread.

view the rest of the comments →

[–]TheJamesRocket[S] 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

This is a major development. The United States has previously maintained an ambigous position in regards to Taiwan. Now, there is a real possibility that a regional war could break out between the U.S. and China.

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

If it does, it's WW3. Everybody wants Taiwan, either free or for their own.

[–]Blackbrownfreestuff 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

Why is Taiwan so valuable? How does owning this island benefit whoever takes it?

[–]casparvoneverecBig tiddy respecter 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

It's a vital forward operating base. If the US built a solid military presence on the island, from there they could carry out a devastating strategic bombing of South China. An analog would be the US airforce using British airbases in 1943-45 to bomb Germany. If Britain had exited the war, then the US could never have carried out the bombing of Germany.

Plus, since it stands at the entry to the South China sea, American aircraft based on the island could interdict and destroy the Chinese merchant navy. It's extremely vital that China prevent the US from possessing the island from a military standpoint.

[–]Blackbrownfreestuff 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Makes sense, so China could just draw a line in the sand about US placing military assets there instead of invading?