Let's Be Clear

I've written that China wants to conquer Taiwan very badly; that China can pull off an invasion; that China is adding to its capabilities to invade and to thwart US internvention; that Taiwan is vulnerable to invasion for the rest of the decade; that China doesn't think American will defend Taiwan; that we can't afford to let China capture Taiwan; and that China could very well invade Taiwan on the eve of the 2008 Olympics.

Our ambiguous policy made sense when China could not even think about invading Taiwan but that era is over. It is time to let Peking know that we will fight them over Taiwan--period. No errant Taiwanese statements over being independent will nullify our commitment to Taiwan and that no law China passes purporting to make the issue an internal question will keep our fleet away:

But above all, the United States must be candid with the American people, with our democratic allies and friends in Asia, and above all with the Chinese dictatorship, about the American commitment to help Taiwan defend itself.

We may think that the war on terror requires us to be quiet to keep Chinese support; but waking up one morning to find that Chinese troops are landing on Taiwan will be a far greater distraction.