Should the United States attack China in a war over Taiwan?

Question

While the Taiwan Relations Act implies US would defend Taiwan, China has been modernizing their military buying Russian missiles and building naval warships. China is currently developing the J-xx stealth fighter and planning a aircraft carrier since the Chinese are buying Su-33 planes. Remember a war against China would mean United States would have to attack a nuclear armed China. Are Americans that stupid to risk war against a larger populated Asian country?

Answer 1

Why?
We are at war with iran/q right know FYI...

Answer 2

It would depend on what grounds is China invading Taiwan. I don't think the US can fight a war on two different shores. And China would not declare war on the US. Why should they? The US is borrowing money from China. Why would China want to stop that?

Answer 3

It has been the policy of the US since the Eisenhower administration to favor Taiwan if China invaded. This has been upheld until the present day, irrespective of the administration.

However, you are correct: China is a formidable foe now. I am not sure we'd want to get into a fistacuffs with a country whose military expenditures increase by over 10% a year.

If China did invade Taiwan though, I think it would be more like Desert Storm: a coalition of many, many nations and we'd be in a world war.

I don't think it will happen either way. China is far too interested in becoming a real superpower and their rise as such is merely nascent.

Answer 4

The USA has a long standing agreement to defend Taiwan from Chineese agression. If China decided to invade Tawian and force it back under communist rule, I believe it would be a situation similar to Iraq invading Kuwait. China would be given a set amount of time to leave Taiwan. Failure to meet this deadline would result in a military response. If the invaded without reason, just because they wanted Taiwan back under their rule, I believe the USA would be able to gain many allies like it previously did in the first Gulf War.

Would nuclear weapons be used, no. Everytime a simulation is run using nuclear weapons as an offensive attack weapon everyone who uses them loses. While China is building up its military might, you have to remember the USA is the most technologically advanced and strongest military in the world. The USA alone has 12 carrier battle groups with no less then 8 ready for military combat within 180 days. Of course every nation is trying to create a stealth fighter, the USA already has them. While they created were designing them, I think it is very likely they also created ways to detect them knowing other nations would want them.

Population wouldn't play a major role. Yes China has a huge population compared to the USA. About 5x as big, but in this case we are fighting for the liberation of Taiwan, not planning an invasion of China. Also many of China's resources have gone to developing their army, but an army cannot do much when the navel ships are sitting off the coast about 600 miles launching missles inland.

Answer 5

Love not war, but if the Chinese insist why not. Also the Chinese know, that they're out gun, out technologize by the U.S so they wouldn't want to go to war. The population of the Chinese have no impact on the U.S decision to go to war with Chinese. A nukes war don't require many foot soldiers, it's the jets and planes that do most of the damages. The Chinese is not ready for any war with the U.S in my opinion, their technologies is not up to par with U.S just yet, i don't think they're ever be ready for the U.S advance weaponry type of war.

Answer 6

war? maybe as a last resort. first try embargoes: about half of China's income comes from exporting to the U.S. if they lose that it's hard to maintain a country. most of what they export is commodities not necessities toys and pillowcases not food and medicine they are much more dependent on us than we are on them and we'd be able to better stand the effects of a trade embargo. if this and negotiations can't reach peace then perhaps a certain measure of military activity would be necessary. of course, we would have to avoid using nukes and i think China would too each of us knows the consequnces of a nuclear war. even the soviets didn't attack us with nukes and the Chinese government is much more stable and reasonable the the Soviet regimes

Answer 7

No, the U.S. should not attack and I don't think this country ever will. I don't think you should call Americans stupid either by thinking they would try to risk war against a larger populated country. You're insulting a lot of people that have nothing to with this by saying that. Numbers aren't everything. I don't think Americans are risking anything since its not going to happen. Most Americans wouldn't even have a say.

Answer 8

The US would be responding to an act of aggression on China's behalf. What would you want to happen if China tried to invade a nation of over 20 million, just stand idly by? Sanctions by the UN wouldn't work as China has such a large trading influence and any military action by the UN would probably need US contributions anyway.

Answer 9

Lord, I sure hope not!!!
The last thing we need right now is another war, on the opposite side of the globe, with an enemy that has at least the equal to, or greater technological weaponry, and full nuclear capability. Plus an armed force greater than our entire population.

Answer 10

No way, do u know how much we trade with china.....ALOT, china economy is booming right now b/c of us.

And United states CANNOT risk another war right now. They are already having trouble with guerillas. United States could win a war with china due to our superior technology, it would be a REALLY hard fought war.

A war on china would pretty much destroy on our economy, thus making me want to immigrate to another country. We trade so much with china that its not even funny. And if we are having trouble killing guerillas, we are gonna have a hell of a time killing a jagillion people.

Answer 11

Consider a situation where such a war is declared:

01. Japan and India would declare themselves neutral.

02. The DPRK would very quickly become a satellite state of the PRC, dissolving the Korean peace process and destabilising the peninsula.

03. The EU would simply stall, unable to reach a decision given its consensus process.

04. The UK would not support this war, given public pressure to dissociate itself from the US.

05. The US would likely find itself outmanoeuvred in the scramble for fuel from the ME.

06. Russia would most certainly remain neutral, or may provide limited assistance to the US.

07. Australia would provide support to the US. NZ would declare neutrality.

08. Some S. Am. powers may support China, given the inability of the US to both hold a front with China and hold their own hemisphere.

09. Brazil would most certainly see it fit to adopt the Indo-Japanese neutrality strategy.

10. The UNSC would be stalled, given cancelling vetoes from both powers.

11. NATO would be duty-bound to take action, causing the Europeans to limit their participation in it.

In the aftermath:

01. The US would lose the engagement, and superiority in the Pacific.

02. India and Japan would benefit from a weakened China and a weakened US.

03. Australia would suffer a serious blow to its international standing.

04. NATO will be weakened, possibly dissolved or rendered inoperable.

05. The EU will form its own army, in lieu of the above.

06. Russia would emerge stronger, irrelevant of the result of the war.