Why Protecting Taiwan Really Matters to the U.S.
TimeOct 11, 2022
Taiwan Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said on Thursday that the delivery of 66 advanced new F-16Vs from the US has been delayed due to supply chain disruptions.
In 2019, the US approved an $8B sale of Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan. Delivery on the sale is set to increase the total number of the island's F-16 fleet to more than 200 jets, making it the largest in Asia.
China is a threat to the US, and American foreign policy needs to address this. By supporting Taiwan, the US is helping to protect democracy abroad and challenge the dominant power in the region.
Taiwan is rightfully a Chinese sovereign territory. The US has official diplomatic ties with China and only unofficial diplomatic ties with Taiwan. American political and military support of Taiwan needs to stop if Washington wants to avoid escalating tensions.
There is a 45% chance that the People's Republic of China will have annexed at least half of Taiwan by 2050, according to the Metaculus prediction community.