Taiwan The Third Front: Implications of #hamasattack

Israel’s response to the attack from Palestinian gunmen is still in the early stages. It’s too soon to know how far it will go. But we can look at how it might affect the situation in the Taiwan Strait, which is already a volatile area due to China’s attempts to control Taiwan. One consequence of the Hamas attack is that Taiwan’s wait for American weapons to defend against China will be even longer. Taiwan has already contracted $18 billion worth of weapons from the US, including anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles. But now that the US is providing more military support to Israel, Taiwan is no longer a top priority for American weapons. The problem is that the American arms industry has shrunk since the end of the Cold War. They didn’t anticipate a new Cold War between the US and its allies and an authoritarian coalition consisting of Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. Taiwan, among others, is now left without the weapons it needs. Another consequence is that China might