vtsnowedin wrote:theluckycountry wrote:I'd suggest the US is on the side of profit, always has been.
True enough but China if it invades Taiwan will find there is no profit in it. It will in fact be killing the goose that lays golden eggs.
I can't imagine even a Democrat US government allowing any economic activity with China after they tried that and there is a good chance the Taiwanese can repel any attack with or without our help.
VT, China would never invade Taiwan to profit economically, but it would invade, if necessary, regardless of the cost. The only reason that Taiwan exists as it is at all is because the USA interfered in China's civil war and threatened the mainland, with war and a nuclear attack, to try and create an independent Taiwan. China will reunify with Taiwan for geopolitical, territorial, sovereignty, and strategic reasons, including open access to the Pacific Ocean through the First Island Chain. Taiwan is not laying any golden eggs for the mainland, in any case.
Based on the experience sanctioning China and applying tariffs to its exports to the USA so far, I believe that the USA can't really stop trading with China without suffering incalculable economic damage itself.
As far as Taiwan's ability to defend itself, with or without the USA's help, the US government, its intelligence agencies, and the Pentagon have concluded in multiple studies and war games performed over the last five years that China would inevitably win the war and take over control of Taiwan.
China, though, does NOT want to attack Taiwan and will not do so unless Taiwan forces its hand. The Taiwan government has been trying to "Salami Slice" Taiwan from the mainland, but it will only take one slice too many to force China's hand.
I believe the USA will NOT involve itself militarily in defending Taiwan from a mainland attack, and I definitely hope so. It would be an incredibly stupid and costly thing to do. If you think losing to Afghanistan was bad, just wait until the USA loses to China. We already fought the Chinese in Korea and Vietnam, and that didn't end well. Today's China is a whole other monster, though. As a permanent resident in the USA I pray to the gods I don't believe in that the US government never does anything that stupid; the outcome would inevitably be catastrophic for all parties involved.