“There is no avoiding war; it can only be postponed to the advantage of others.” Those words uttered by Niccolò Machiavelli reverberate through centuries of military and political thought.
For decades since the Kuomintang fled to Taiwan in 1949, a tense status quo has settled over the Taiwan Strait, with China eyeing Taiwan as the last piece of its national rejuvenation from its Century of Humiliation, a crown jewel that eventually must be reunited with the mainland – by force if need be.
It is not farfetched to think China will eventually make its move on Taiwan, as it may be emboldened by its newfound military might, integration in the world economy and international political influence that it may think it could mount a swift takeover of Taiwan and get away with it before the US and its allies can respond.