The Washington Post
Date: Oct. 18, 2019
By: John Pomfret 

When President Trump was trying to explain why he abandoned the Kurds to Turkish forces,

upending the geopolitical situation in the Middle East and driving a stake through the heart of a longtime American ally, he noted that developments in Syria had nothing to do with the United States. The terrorists there, he said, were “7,000 miles away.” No Americans were in harm’s way. Why should Washington get involved?

At more than 7,800 miles from Washington, Taiwan is even farther away than Syria. And at just over 23 million, there are about half as many Taiwanese as there are Kurds.

Could an unscripted phone call between Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping greenlight a Chinese invasion of Taiwan? Given Trump’s impulsive nature, that chilling scenario — and its baleful ramifications — can’t be ruled out.

A Chinese attack on Taiwan, especially one with U.S. acquiescence, would roil East Asia. It would cause the United States’ Asian allies, from Japan and South Korea to the Philippines and Australia, to suspect Washington’s commitment to their security, and would embolden North Korea. If successful, the invasion would crush an Asian democracy and propel China’s naval interests far into the western Pacific, setting the scene for Chinese domination of the region for years to come.
[FULL  STORY]