Would the US act if China invaded Taiwan?

I just watched this Australian broadcast which examines the possibility of war with China.



The broadcast claims that China will attempt to take over Taiwan as part of its campaign to dominate the South China Sea and if it does so the US will have to act or lose credibility in the region.


Would the USA respond militarily if China attacked Taiwan? Would it be legal considering Taiwan’s legal status?

Would a Trump-led USA act in this situation? Would a Biden-led USA act?

How far do you think China is willing to go in its quest to dominate the South China Sea?
Does the USA, in a post-Afghanistan/Post Syria-Iraq world, still have the chops to be in charge in this situation or would the country cave in as a result of partisan bickering?


Also, on a side topic, Taiwan makes 60% of the world’s semiconductors. Does it make sense for all those eggs to be in one basket? Did the west make a huge blunder by not getting the USA on board for the TPP? What is being done to counter China economically? From here it feels like China has grown in power quite dramatically in the last ten years and not much has been done to stop it.

 

Yes, I believe so.

No, I do not believe so.

All the way to full-scale war, if necessary.

Any country that is under threat, living in the shadow of China's military, ought to be strengthening their own defenses, and forming partnerships / alliances with like-minded neighboring countries. You should not rely on the USA to bail you out if push comes to shove. You need to get ready to fight the bully yourselves.

It feels that way here too. FWIW, President Trump was pretty broadly anti-China and worked fairly proactively to push back against them, but unfortunately we did not re-elect him. Instead, we elected someone who is basically a Chinese stooge.

 

Beijing Biden wouldn't do jack squat if China invaded Taiwan...

 

And the funny thing is, that is actually fairly recently that happened. It was not all that long ago that a movie was made where the main plot was thwarting an attack on California as it was home to almost 90% of semiconductor manufacturing.

But the answer is both complex, and simple. "Semiconductor" is actually something vague, and by itself does not mean much. But ultimately, it will move to where it is most cost effective to make them. That was once the US, now it is normally elsewhere.

 

Yes. We would even use nuclear weapons if conventional force failed.

I don't know but who cares?

 

Okay, thanks for admitting you're a sucker for propaganda.

Um, no, but thanks for over-reacting just the same.

 

China Xoe would send the Chinese a strongly worded letter.

 

Wrong. We will protect our allies with nuclear weapons if conventional weapons are not sufficient to protect them.

I do not share the opinion that doing whatever is necessary to protect our allies is an overreaction.

 

There are undoubtedly scenarios in which the US military would advise the president to use nuclear weapons. I’m not sure that protecting Taiwan would be one of them. I’m not sure that the US would even order air strikes.

The US hasn’t won a war in a long time. 80 years? I would imagine that at this point, having finally left the Middle East with its tail between its legs, the US government is going to think long and hard about engaging in military actions again for a while. The only way the US is going to start winning wars again is if the west faces an obvious existential threat that both left and right can unite on or if the right is is successful in ending democracy and setting up an authoritarian government.

 

We will protect our allies.

Nonsense. It only took us a week or two to crush Iraq, and the same with Afghanistan.

 

Don't worry. Biden is already drafting a strongly worded letter to Beijing if they occupy Taiwan.

 

Using nuclear weapons doesn't protect anyone. It ensures that their will be death and destruction for the entire planet, regardless of what side you are on. It's the ultimate in sheer stupidity and short-sightedness.

 

Sure it does. If despite our best efforts we are unable to defend Taiwan conventionally from Chinese aggression, then using nuclear weapons to eradicate the entire Chinese military will prevent them from harming Taiwan.

That doesn't matter. What matters is protecting our allies.

 

Nukes come in many sizes from huge to itty-bitty (a technical term). Nukes can be employed on a local basis without decimating the world. But I still basically agree with you. Nukes aren't the answer.

 

So if conventional force fails to repel a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, what is the answer if not nuclear weapons?

 

that was
funny!!

 

I understand the sizes, but once they start flying it opens a Pandora’s box far greater than any use of congenital force would do

 

Bit of an exaggeration of your part.

 

Nukes aren't used lightly. It takes lots of planning, lots of preparation, and lots of integration with other efforts. It would not EASILY "get out of hand"... but of course its possible, if unlikely.

 

Fortunately for the World, US nuclear weapons policy is no first use, which means the US would not use nuclear weapons.

I get that nuclear weapons and foreign policy weird you out and you don't understand either of them, but there is no moral, ethical, legal, logical or military reason to justify the first use of nuclear weapons in defense of Taiwan.

Since China has no tactical, battlefield or theater nuclear weapons to use against Taiwan, and the Chinese aren't dumb enough to launch one of their few multi-megaton ICBMs on Taiwan, the US will have to use nukes first, which would violate standing US policy since 1948 and would make the US an outcast to the World.

The good thing about being outcast is you'll have plenty of time to savor your small marginal victory whilst standing in a bread line to get your weekly ration of bread and even more time waiting in line to get your weekly ration of gasoline.

 

If China attacks Taiwan, the U.S. will not intervene militarily.

 

What is your source for that prediction of the future? Tea leaves? Tarot cards? (I love it when folks think they can predict the future with certainty.)

 

I was privy to the nuclear fire plan for Europe back in the day before the Iron Curtain was removed. I was always glad that civilians never saw it. It left most of Europe in a shambles. I Commanded nuclear capable Artillery battery and we were ready with six nukes, with six more ready to be delivered on call. The tactical nukes are gone now, but the will remains.
From a practical standpoint, however, nukes aren't the answer with Taiwan. No room. All you'd do is contaminate the entire area. So the answer lies elsewhere.

 

Just my opinion. Nobody wants Biden getting us into a military conflict with a nuclear power.

 

Limited nuclear war is possible, but its a very dangerous game. A lot of the globe could be devastated but MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) should keep New York, Peking, and Moscow safe. What a great opportunity for Iran to use nukes to slaughter "infidels", though, and blame it on someone else.