4 ms·

Well for one the US won't be so inclined to defend TW so much. Sure, there will be posturing, maybe even a proxy war like in Ukraine, but generally speaking the

Well for one the US won't be so inclined to defend TW so much. Sure, there will be posturing, maybe even a proxy war like in Ukraine, but generally speaking the US will not be sending troops anymore, now that the golden goose has nested on its shores.

mupuff1234 4y ago
I'm guessing Taiwan received quite a carrot in order to get their approval for the TSMC expansion.
- Animatronio 4y ago
  No carrot I'm afraid :D I think this decision was 100% made by TSMC and the US. Both get what they want: - continuity of operations and safety for TSMC - locally sourced chips for the US and most importantly - much diminished importance for Taiwan, meaning they do not have to defend it with troops (which is the most important aspect of war - see Afghanistan, Vietnam, and so on).
boc 4y ago
Or conversely the US will commit even more resources to the defense of Taiwan now that their own domestic supply of chips is safe. The US had no strategic interest in Ukraine yet we’ve all seen the reaction. The US will gladly defend Taiwan and create the hill for the CCP to die upon.
- Animatronio 4y ago
  Now please explain why would the US send troops to defend TW if there's nothing actually valuable there anymore? Ukraine was hugely important for it's position next to Russia, and so is TW. And still, no US troops on the ground in Ukraine, and there won't be any in TW. This is a smart way of giving up on TW without actually admitting it, and there's nothing to be ashamed of, really.
  - dotnet00 4y ago
    They might do it because of the value in denying China access to Taiwan. Even assuming that Taiwan blows their semiconductor fabs to prevent China from getting them, there's still all the know-how and all the other stuff that the US wouldn't want China potentially getting its hands on, like American weapons. There would also be the consideration of the risk to Japan (and other friendly nations in the region) created by allowing China to just take Taiwan without at least Ukraine levels of backlash.
  - brookst 4y ago
    You seem to be asserting a few contradictory things: 1. Taiwan can only be defended with US troops on the ground 2. Ukraine has no US troops on the ground and is being successfully defended 3. The US would only put troops on the ground to protect valuable things like TSMC fabs 4. (by implication) if China attacks Taiwan and destroys TSMC fabs tomorrow, the US would have no incentive to defend Taiwan because the fabs are gone I don't see it. Ukraine looks likely to survive as a country without US troops on the ground. Ukraine, as you note, has no fabs or similarly valuable assets. Why can't those exact same conditions play out in Taiwan, which is also much much much harder to invade with ground troops than Ukraine was?
    - Animatronio 4y ago
      1. The topic was US defense of TW. How exactly would it be defended by the US without troops? 2. Ukraine is defended by the Ukr army - with copious amounts of ammo and weaponry yes from NATO but no troops. At the same time the US never said they would send the army into conflict to defend it; when it comes to TW, despite the strategic ambiguity or whatever it's called, the general belief is there would be US boots on the ground. 3. The US would send its soldiers if there was something valuable obviously - be it fabs or oil or whatever, but not just to fight China for a random island in the Pacific. Otherwise they would have done it already on the countless atolls that are being fortified. 4. Yes, pretty much that. Just that it would not be obvious, but rather a long war of words would precede it... Again, nothing wrong with it. As long as no lives are lost I guess it is for the better.
  - boc 4y ago

mupuff1234 4y ago

I'm guessing Taiwan received quite a carrot in order to get their approval for the TSMC expansion.

Animatronio 4y ago
No carrot I'm afraid :D I think this decision was 100% made by TSMC and the US. Both get what they want: - continuity of operations and safety for TSMC - locally sourced chips for the US and most importantly - much diminished importance for Taiwan, meaning they do not have to defend it with troops (which is the most important aspect of war - see Afghanistan, Vietnam, and so on).

boc 4y ago

Or conversely the US will commit even more resources to the defense of Taiwan now that their own domestic supply of chips is safe. The US had no strategic interest in Ukraine yet we’ve all seen the reaction. The US will gladly defend Taiwan and create the hill for the CCP to die upon.

Animatronio 4y ago
Now please explain why would the US send troops to defend TW if there's nothing actually valuable there anymore? Ukraine was hugely important for it's position next to Russia, and so is TW. And still, no US troops on the ground in Ukraine, and there won't be any in TW. This is a smart way of giving up on TW without actually admitting it, and there's nothing to be ashamed of, really.
- dotnet00 4y ago
  They might do it because of the value in denying China access to Taiwan. Even assuming that Taiwan blows their semiconductor fabs to prevent China from getting them, there's still all the know-how and all the other stuff that the US wouldn't want China potentially getting its hands on, like American weapons. There would also be the consideration of the risk to Japan (and other friendly nations in the region) created by allowing China to just take Taiwan without at least Ukraine levels of backlash.
- brookst 4y ago
  You seem to be asserting a few contradictory things: 1. Taiwan can only be defended with US troops on the ground 2. Ukraine has no US troops on the ground and is being successfully defended 3. The US would only put troops on the ground to protect valuable things like TSMC fabs 4. (by implication) if China attacks Taiwan and destroys TSMC fabs tomorrow, the US would have no incentive to defend Taiwan because the fabs are gone I don't see it. Ukraine looks likely to survive as a country without US troops on the ground. Ukraine, as you note, has no fabs or similarly valuable assets. Why can't those exact same conditions play out in Taiwan, which is also much much much harder to invade with ground troops than Ukraine was?
  - Animatronio 4y ago
    1. The topic was US defense of TW. How exactly would it be defended by the US without troops? 2. Ukraine is defended by the Ukr army - with copious amounts of ammo and weaponry yes from NATO but no troops. At the same time the US never said they would send the army into conflict to defend it; when it comes to TW, despite the strategic ambiguity or whatever it's called, the general belief is there would be US boots on the ground. 3. The US would send its soldiers if there was something valuable obviously - be it fabs or oil or whatever, but not just to fight China for a random island in the Pacific. Otherwise they would have done it already on the countless atolls that are being fortified. 4. Yes, pretty much that. Just that it would not be obvious, but rather a long war of words would precede it... Again, nothing wrong with it. As long as no lives are lost I guess it is for the better.
- boc 4y ago