US strategic ambiguity over Taiwan must end

The policy of ambiguity worked well as long as America was strong enough to maintain it. Those days are over. It is now fostering regional instability instead.

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Russia's invasion of Ukraine has reminded many people of the fraught relationship between China and Taiwan. But while there are three similarities between the situation in Ukraine and Taiwan, there are also significant differences.

The first similarity is that there is a very large military power gap between Taiwan and China, just as there was between Ukraine and Russia. Moreover, that gap is growing larger every year.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on April 19, 2022, with the headline US strategic ambiguity over Taiwan must end. Subscribe