CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY (Grant Newsham) - A China move now on Taiwan would be an enormous gamble
Originally posted but Asia Times
Xi might decide now is the time to make his move while the Americans are occupied in Iran – but there are a host of negatives “The Iran war weakens deterrence in Asia, undercuts confidence of US allies and partners, and makes conflict with China more likely.” That’s become an article of faith among those opposing the US fight with Iran. The US military – the navy in particular – is indeed smaller than it should be, and much American combat power is deployed to the Middle East. There is no deployable aircraft carrier in the Western Pacific, and the sole forward-based Marine amphibious unit, the 31st MEU, is deployed to Iran. As troubling, the Iran war is draining war stocks – especially long-range precision missiles and…Open