(Ken Silva, Headline USA) Earlier this month, Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., floated a hair-brained proposal for what the U.S. should do if China invades Taiwan.
“The U.S. should make it very clear to the Chinese that if you invade Taiwan, we’re going to blow up TSMC,” Moulton said at a conference organized by the California-based think tank Milken Institute, referencing the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., which owns the world’s largest semiconductor foundry.
“Of course, the Taiwanese really don’t like this idea.”
At least on the latter point, Moulton was correct. Another speaker at the conference immediately told Moulton how bad his idea was.
“If you do that, you’d have a $2 trillion economic impact on the global economy within the first year, and you’d put manufacturing around the world at a standstill,” said U.S. defense policy advisor and former government official Michele Flournoy. “I mean, this is a terrible idea.”
Taiwan Minister of National Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng also rebuked the idea on Monday, saying that Taiwan would not “tolerate” such a plan.
“The defense minister said that the armed forces are responsible for defending Taiwan and its people, materials, and strategic resources,” the Taiwan News reported Tuesday. “Therefore, ‘if they want to bomb this or that,” the armed forces will not tolerate this kind of situation, Chiu said.”
Still, some members of the U.S. military-industrial complex defended Moulton’s scheme.
“This is correct, TSMC is a strategic asset that cannot be allowed to fall into [Chinese] hands in the event of a hot war. Provision for the destruction of its physical assets and evacuation of personnel with sensitive knowledge/skill sets should be made,” said military analyst Patrick Fox.
“[Seth Moulton] may make some people uncomfortable here, but it’s the kind of realistic appraisal we seldom see from US elected officials.”
Luckily, rational adults jumped on Moulton’s supporters to reiterate what a bad idea it would be for America to bomb one of its own purported allies.
“This proposal is a classic case of strategy devoid of political wisdom. It sacrifices face in service of performative hawkishness, darkening US image on cusp vital Taiwanese election. In war all bets are moot. In peace threatening your ally/client is unethical. It’s also stupid,” said Jonathan R. Hunt, an assistant professor of strategy at the U.S. Air War College.
“You know what’s a more ‘strategic asset’ than TSMC in the event of a possible but not inevitable war? U.S. reputation as a non-sociopathic security partner,” Hunt added.
This proposal is a classic case of strategy devoid of political wisdom. It sacrifices face in service of performative hawkishness, darkening US image on cusp vital Taiwanese election. In war all bets are moot. In peace threatening your ally/client is unethical. It’s also stupid. https://t.co/DXEIhAaJ9r
— Jonathan R. Hunt (@JRHunTx) May 6, 2023
Meanwhile, tensions between the U.S. and China continue to escalate over Taiwan, as some observers expect China to make a similar move as Russia did with Ukraine. The Biden administration has stepped up the arms sent to Taiwan since taking office, which critics say China treats as a threat—again, similar to how Russia viewed NATO expansion as a threat.
Earlier this week, Taiwan defense minister Chiu also said that Taiwan is in talks with the Pentagon on the US providing a $500 million weapons package that would come at no cost to Taipei, according to antiwar.com editor Dave DeCamp.
“The US has sold weapons to Taiwan since Washington severed relations with Taipei in 1979 but has not provided free military aid, making the support unprecedented and sure to anger Beijing. China’s People’s Liberation Army launched major drills around Taiwan in December 2022 in response to President Biden signing the NDAA into law,” DeCamp wrote Tuesday.
“When lawmakers in Congress were first discussing [increased arms sales to Taiwan], they said the idea was to arm Taiwan like Ukraine but before any potential invasion. China hawks say this must be done to deter a future war with China, but Beijing views such support as a major provocation.”
Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.
