Taiwan thinks the unthinkable: resisting China without America
Its plan was to hold off a Chinese attack until America turned up. What now?
IF TAIWAN CAN resist Chinese invasion forces for a month, then Communist Party leaders in Beijing can be deterred. That calculation has long guided war planners and politicians in Taiwan. The democratically ruled island would need to survive weeks of bombardment, blockade or even amphibious landings by the People’s Liberation Army, to give America time to turn up and save the day.
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This article appeared in the International section of the print edition under the headline “Ukraine’s long war, seen from Taiwan”
From the June 14th 2025 edition
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