Let’s say that one day Beijing elects to attack Taiwan with all its military might, but Taiwan refuses to surrender despite mounting civilian casualties and considerable damage to roads, bridges, ports, airports and other key infrastructure.
Caught unawares, or at least unable to respond in time, Washington dispatches warships to the area and ratchets up the rhetoric. By the time these arrive, however, People’s Liberation Army (PLA) ground and air forces have overcome the Taiwanese military in most locations and secured the Presidential Office, key military installations, the legislature and other important government buildings. The Americans, recognizing when a thing cannot be undone by military means, withdraw a certain distance and watch.[Full Text]