Taipei Times
Date:  Jun 24, 2015
By: William Lowther  /  Staff reporter in WASHINGTON

US Naval War College professor James Holmes has some advice for Taiwan on how to avoid a Chinese takeover.

“I reject the idea that a free people is doomed to fall to foreign conquerors,” he said.

Writing on Web site RealClearDefense, the strategy expert said that Taiwan can “master its destiny” if it does a few basic things.

First, Taiwan must not be taken in by “hooplah” over cordial cross-strait relations, he said.

“Much has been made of the supposed thaw in cross-strait relations during the [President] Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) years,” Holmes said. “This will last precisely as long as Beijing sees the trendlines going its way toward unification.”

Taiwan must be realistic about US help in the case of an invasion, he added.

“Taiwan must ready itself to hold out as long as possible while the US political process sorts itself out, orders are given and US relief forces try to pry open the region,” he said.

“Self-help” should be the watchword for Taipei’s defense preparations, he wrote.

“Threaten credibly to make things hard and drawn-out for Chinese forces and Bejing’s success doubtful and you may balk its plans — or deter aggression altogether,” he said.     [FULL  STORY]