The Diplomat takes the irresponsible tack of envisioning a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
Taiwan is a rugged, heavily urbanized nation of 23.6 million people. The country of Taiwan (also known as the Republic of China) is made up of over 100 islands, most too tiny to see on the map. Many of Taiwan’s outer islands bristle with missiles, rockets, and artillery guns. Their granite hills have been honeycombed with tunnels and bunker systems.
The main island of Taiwan is 394 kilometers long and 144 kilometers across at its widest point. It has 258 peaks over 3,000 meters in elevation. The tallest, Yushan, or “Jade Mountain,” is just under 4,000 meters high.
Unlike Normandy, the coastal terrain here is a defender’s dream come true.
I find perhaps a story per month discussing what an invasion of Taiwan might look like. All such stories stoke irrational ideas that China is preparing for such an act. There is zero evidence — zero — to suggest that is going to happen.
Smooth Aggregator, Not So Smooth Poet 