A Taiwan defense review highlights the limits of cross-strait detente:
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) has continued to upgrade arms for troops stationed with Nanjing and Guangzhou military units, which have the potential to threaten Taiwan, a MND-released Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) said. The report said this situation, which has emerged despite improving cross-strait ties, poses a major threat to Taiwan.
For the past few years, the PLA has been conducting military exercises which focus on the scenario of taking an island should possible military conflict occur, the QDR also said.
China has not renounced the goal of absorbing Taiwan by force if necessary. China has just stopped issuing threats at such a high rate about absorbing Taiwan by force. And China's capabilities to invade continute to grow while Taiwan's defenses fail to keep pace.
Taiwan should return the favor by arming up and training while smiling at the Chinese about their wonderful cross-strait relations.
Taiwan should not be confused about this. If they don't defend their island democracy, they'll lose their freedom. Then they can take comfort in having shiny, new "Free Taiwan" bumper stickers right next to the faded "Free Tibet" stickers on the occasional car you might see in a college town. That's gotta count for something, right?
UPDATE: Taiwan needs to remember that we can't defend them. China will reach Taiwan's shores if they attack:
It is now accepted at the Pentagon that an attack by Beijing on Taiwan could not be successfully turned back by U.S. planes and ships. The dense deployment of missile batteries along the mainland Chinese coast has shifted the immediate balance of power, meaning that the United States will now depend on its ability to inflict massive retaliatory damage to deter China from crossing the Taiwan Strait. “We can no longer be a shield,” says a senior military planner. “We have to switch to being an effective spear.”
Right now, the best-case scenario is that we fight our way through China's growing arsenal in time to make a difference. Taiwan needs to provide more time for the cavalry to arrive.
