Made investments in amphibious warfare capabilities

made investments in amphibious warfare capabilities that would make an invasion feasible. China-watcher Ian Easton is concerned that China will act
aggressively toward Taiwan within the decade.
Thus, the Trump Administration must take bold steps in not only increasing its defense of the
besieged island of Taiwan
,
but Washington must officially recognize Taiwan as a separate state from China—privy to all of the same
protections and benefits that are given to sovereign states.
Fall Like a Thunderbolt Douglas MacArthur once described Taiwan as an “unsinkable aircraf
carrier.”
From the U.S. perspective, the island provides an advantageous geostrategic position for American and allied forces to undermine
China’s hegemonic grand strategy
. Lose that, and China has the ability to push beyond its maritime borders and threaten Japan, the Philippines, and other
distant places. For their part, the leaders of Taiwan have long abandoned the pretense that theirs is the only legitimate government of China and favored
independence from their larger, authoritarian neighbor. As the great Chinese strategist Sun Tzu once said, “Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and
when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.” If Trump were to suddenly announce a complete reorganization of America’s defense posture in northeastern Asia, the
Chinese would be off-balance.
America’s goal is to either force China to comport with a “rules-based order”
(which is unlikely
) or to weaken China so
much that it cannot threaten the U.S.-led international order any longer. Recognizing Taiwanese independence would completely upend the
Chinese position
. Consider, too,
if the United States announced that it would most
—if not all—
of its forces from South Korea and reposition them in
Taiwan, this might also prompt Kim Jong-un to seek accommodation with the West rather than continue to let himself be used as China’s pawn.
Each time tensions between China and the United States increase, North Korea has conveniently been stirred into taking action that distracts Washington from
dealing more forcefully with Beijing. At some point, Kim will want to remove himself from China’s vice-grip and secure his own interests. Right now,
the Chinese
are convinced they can weather the Trump trade storm. But as Trump said in The Art of the Deal , “My style of deal-making is quite simple and
straightforward. I aim very high, and then I just keep pushing and pushing and pushing to get what I’m afer.”
The president can live up to those
words with Taiwan.
Let’s keep the Chinese off-kilter , right a historic wrong perpetrated by short-sighted U.S. leaders, draw Taiwan closer to the
United States—and in the process ensure that China will never achieve hegemony over the Asia-Pacific, let alone the world.

CP-Arms Sales
Text: The United States federal government should sale the Republic of China any and
all requested arms
Give em the weapons
Bowman and Smits 6/26