The following resources give an overview of the topic for discussion – China, Taiwan and the United States:
A. Cross-Strait Relations: How the China-Taiwan conflict could intensify U.S.-China competition, WACMB luncheon talk of March 28 by NPS Professor Christopher Twomey, one hour video on YouTube at https://youtu.be/O0ItEBBM1Tk?t=365 (please do not share link with others).
B. China-Taiwan Tensions: What’s Behind the Divide by Josh Chin, 6 April 2022 in the Wall Street Journal at https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-taiwan-tensions-explained-11646894687?st=67ul94cvfme5y8v&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
C. China Is Not Russia. Taiwan Is Not Ukraine by Andrew Scobell and Lucy Stevenson-Yang, 4 March 2022 at the US Institute for Peace at https://www.usip.org/publications/2022/03/china-not-russia-taiwan-not-ukraine
D. China and Taiwan: A really simple guide to a growing conflict, a BBC fact sheet at https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-59900139
The following questions are to help guide our discussion:
1. Why is Taiwan important for China and for the U.S, and how can these competing interests be reconciled, if at all?
2. What are the implications of recent shifts in the U.S. policy of ambiguity toward Taiwan, especially through closer military cooperation?
3. What are the implications of the Russia-Ukraine conflict for China-Taiwan-US relations, and what are the risks of a military conflict over Taiwan?