Taiwan Tripwire: A New Role For The U.S. Army In Deterring Chinese Aggression (From Forbes)

A potential Chinese occupation of Taiwan has become the most pressing concern facing U.S. military commanders in the Western Pacific. Washington needs to raise the stakes for Beijing in a way that more effectively deters aggression against the island nation. One way to do that is to permanently station a U.S. Army armored brigade in Taiwan that could help indigenous forces resist invasion. Armored brigade combat teams are among the most lethal ground formations in the world, but their real value in Taiwan is that they would force Beijing to contemplate engaging with U.S. military forces on the first day of conflict. In other words, they would be a “tripwire” virtually guaranteeing that Washington responds forcefully to an effort aimed at occupying the island. In such circumstances, China is much less likely to launch an attack. I have written a commentary for Forbes here.