# If necessary, should the US go to war with China to defend Taiwan? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 3, 2019, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-necessary-should-the-us-go-to-war-with-china-to-defend-taiwan/827169 "2019-01-03T21:19:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2019, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-necessary-should-the-us-go-to-war-with-china-to-defend-taiwan/827169/21 "2019-01-04T14:09:56Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > We do? Yup. We just _snap_ take 'em out. šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2019, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-necessary-should-the-us-go-to-war-with-china-to-defend-taiwan/827169/22 "2019-01-04T14:15:58Z")
As **filmstar-en** points out, it would be counter-productive to the point of insanity for China to try it. They need the trade, from Taiwan and the rest of the world, or they go back to being a Third World county. That having been said, I voted Yes. They invade Taiwan, we take out their navy and air force and make life difficult for everything on the Chinese coast, and then work out a ceasefire. If necessary - Taiwan may, or may not, ask for/require our help. If the Chinese begin to cut up stroppy, we would position a carrier or three in the region before any invasion and mention that a stand down would be a good idea. China is unlikely to try anything - they are playing a long game, which is to the benefit of both sides. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2019, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-necessary-should-the-us-go-to-war-with-china-to-defend-taiwan/827169/23 "2019-01-04T14:19:54Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Have you been paying any attention to history or current events in the last fifty years? The United States doesnā€™t always get to choose what kinds of wars it fights. Where do you think these troops would find ground to go to? ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2019, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-necessary-should-the-us-go-to-war-with-china-to-defend-taiwan/827169/24 "2019-01-04T17:13:26Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > As **filmstar-en** points out, it would be counter-productive to the point of insanity for China to try it. They need the trade, from Taiwan and the rest of the world, or they go back to being a Third World county. > > That having been said, I voted Yes. They invade Taiwan, we take out their navy and air force and make life difficult for everything on the Chinese coast, and then work out a ceasefire. > > If necessary - Taiwan may, or may not, ask for/require our help. If the Chinese begin to cut up stroppy, we would position a carrier or three in the region before any invasion and mention that a stand down would be a good idea. > > China is unlikely to try anything - they are playing a long game, which is to the benefit of both sides. > > Regards, > Shodan Sadly to say though, their new leader is starting to act like another Kil Il and just might be so crazy. And the thing is China, after being pushed around the last 200 years, wants to become a major power in the world. They might just try it. ---
**Author:** ![BeenJammin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beenjammin/32/448_2.png) [@BeenJammin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeenJammin)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2019, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-necessary-should-the-us-go-to-war-with-china-to-defend-taiwan/827169/25 "2019-01-04T17:27:58Z")
Iā€™m curious to know what there is left to fight over between China and Taiwan anyway. Is the Taiwanese man-on-the-streetā€™s life that much better than his mainland counterpart these days? Maoā€™s been dead a long time and things have changed quite a bit since then. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2019, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-necessary-should-the-us-go-to-war-with-china-to-defend-taiwan/827169/26 "2019-01-04T17:41:42Z")
> [@BeenJammin](#): > > Iā€™m curious to know what there is left to fight over between China and Taiwan anyway. Is the Taiwanese man-on-the-streetā€™s life that much better than his mainland counterpart these days? Maoā€™s been dead a long time and things have changed quite a bit since then. From what I am told by the people I know there ā€“ changed and not changed. The really hard times, to many, were more the first years after Maoā€™s death and they feel something like that could be coming again. Some people get to travel to other countries, including this one, and it isnā€™t the closed society it was. But big portions of the internet are denied and people can easily lose internet access for good over a simple post. News is controlled and so is movement. And there are chances to better yourself but it takes time and a lot of luck in cutting through the ā€œredā€ tape. If the Japanese are doing better and have things they donā€™t, who cares? Thatā€™s the Japanese and they still donā€™t like them. If I am doing things they cannot ---- well us Americans have always been like that. But Taiwan? Those are Chinese just like ā€œusā€ and look at all they have we donā€™t. Maybe we should have that. As a result the government on the mainland feels they would be safer in the future bringing them under their control while they still have it. And as we have seen in other places, and even here -------- get the wrong person in power and you just never know. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2019, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-necessary-should-the-us-go-to-war-with-china-to-defend-taiwan/827169/27 "2019-01-04T17:53:19Z")
> [@BeenJammin](#): > > Iā€™m curious to know what there is left to fight over between China and Taiwan anyway. Is the Taiwanese man-on-the-streetā€™s life that much better than his mainland counterpart these days? Maoā€™s been dead a long time and things have changed quite a bit since then. China has always considered Taiwan to belong to China, even after having officially handed over Taiwan to Japan in the year 1895 (Treaty of Shimonoseki.) After World War II, China began agitating for Taiwan to be ā€œreturnedā€ to the mainland, and itā€™s a call thatā€™s grown steadily louder and louder of late. Irredentism. Kind of like how Bangladesh used to be East Pakistan, except imagine if Pakistan today were still trying to take Bangladesh back. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2019, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-necessary-should-the-us-go-to-war-with-china-to-defend-taiwan/827169/28 "2019-01-04T19:04:04Z")
I think there is also the fact that the PLA, wants to actually win a war somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2019, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-necessary-should-the-us-go-to-war-with-china-to-defend-taiwan/827169/29 "2019-01-04T19:12:12Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > I think there is also the fact that the PLA, wants to actually win a war somewhere. So, what does this insight have to do with anything? ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2019, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-necessary-should-the-us-go-to-war-with-china-to-defend-taiwan/827169/30 "2019-01-04T19:13:47Z")
**Ravenman** , what do you think about the poll question? Yes or no? ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2019, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-necessary-should-the-us-go-to-war-with-china-to-defend-taiwan/827169/31 "2019-01-04T20:31:19Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > I think there is also the fact that the PLA, wants to actually win a war somewhere. Not sure what you mean by this. If the PLA wanted to win a war, it would be much better off doing a ā€œGrenadaā€ and cherry-picking some easy-to-win war on a small scale - maybe some intervention against Islamic terrorists on the Afghan/Uzbek/Tajik/Kazakh border, or some battle against Somali pirates off the Horn of Africa, etc. Trying to invade Taiwan would be one of the most difficult undertakings the PLA could possibly undertake, likely with hundreds of thousands of deaths and a high chance of failure. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2019, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-necessary-should-the-us-go-to-war-with-china-to-defend-taiwan/827169/32 "2019-01-04T21:01:23Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > **Ravenman** , what do you think about the poll question? Yes or no? Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2019, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-necessary-should-the-us-go-to-war-with-china-to-defend-taiwan/827169/33 "2019-01-04T22:24:32Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > As **filmstar-en** points out, it would be counter-productive to the point of insanity for China to try it. They need the trade, from Taiwan and the rest of the world, or they go back to being a Third World county. > > That having been said, I voted Yes. They invade Taiwan, we take out their navy and air force and make life difficult for everything on the Chinese coast, and then work out a ceasefire. > > If necessary - Taiwan may, or may not, ask for/require our help. If the Chinese begin to cut up stroppy, we would position a carrier or three in the region before any invasion and mention that a stand down would be a good idea. > > China is unlikely to try anything - they are playing a long game, which is to the benefit of both sides. The problem, as I see it, is that there are a lot of serious divisions in China; a capitalist economic system vs a communist political system, rural vs urban, rich vs poor, north vs south, Princelings vs Youth Leaguers, Han vs every other ethnic group, and even men vs women. Iā€™m concerned that somebody might decide to try to unify these divisions by provoking a conflict with an outside enemy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-necessary-should-the-us-go-to-war-with-china-to-defend-taiwan/827169.md?page=1)