Bluntly because the US can't. No one is going to say it out right, but the PRC’s military has modernized sufficiently that the US is likely incapable of defendi

Bluntly because the US can't. No one is going to say it out right, but the PRC’s military has modernized sufficiently that the US is likely incapable of defending TW anymore. Which is ultimately secondary to the goal of containing PRC that the US still could accomplish in other ways. It's simply not in US interest outside of short term semiconductor concerns that's rapidly being reshored stateside to potentially embarrass itself failing to defend TW. Worse if formal promises or commitments are made, and catastrophic if the US loses trying. e: account throttled, last reply for this thread @Ekaros I think in case of war prior to TSMC productions shifting off island, the survival of those fabs would be the only point of agreement and deconfliction between the mexican standoff. The idea that US would negotiate conceding TW to PRC over fab sharing access / where US controlled supply chains ultimately determine the fabs viability is not inconcievable. The US is fucking negotiating with the Taliban over civilians. Thre are tons of US civilians AND economic interests in TW worth preserving, even if it means handing TW over to PRC, as long as said economic interest has US leash. Which TSMC supply chains are absolutely tethered to. Why would TW agree? Because they're a developed country who doesn't want to be Yemen if conflict gets seroius, it's their only short term barginning chip.