A Tough Taiwan Question

What’s New: While on a panel recently, I was asked, “If you were the US National Security Advisor and China was invading or preparing to invade Taiwan, would you advise the President to use military action to defend the island?”

Why This Matters: This may not be a hypothetical for long. There is growing concern among defense and national security leaders that China could take coercive — possibly even military — action against Taipei in the near- to mid-term.

Key Points:

• The question was posed to a panel consisting of myself, two experts who have forgotten more about these issues than I will ever know, and a representative of Taiwan’s government.