It might be a tempting saber for Xi to rattle. Concerns include a potential cyberattack that could take out the island's electricity and communications.
Star Triune
Date: September 5, 2019
By Nicholas Kristof
A view of Taipei. A 1979 American law suggests that the United States is committed to Taiwan’s defense, but the law is ambiguous about just how committed.
Tensions are rising across the Taiwan Strait, and there’s a growing concern among some security experts that Chinese President Xi Jinping might act recklessly toward Taiwan in the next few years, drawing the United States into a conflict.
Xi’s hard line toward Hong Kong is alarming Taiwanese and further reducing the chance, if there ever was any, of a peaceful unification of China. China seems to be abandoning its effort to win hearts and minds on Taiwan, and it has steadily improved military capabilities — thus prompting the fear that Xi might eventually use them. [FULL STORY]
