The Battle for Taiwan

Taiwan is a geopolitical hotspot. Militarily, financially and on what values will govern the world. For China's leader, Xi Jinping, it is a prestige project to incorporate Taiwan into mainland China including using military force. This can lead to a great power conflict between the US and China with the US supporting Taiwan. Economically, the stakes are high. China is the world's second largest economy and a focal point for supply chains. On the other side, Taiwan produces the bulk of microchips powering our electronic everyday life. A conflict or even a blockade will shave trillions of US dollars of the global economy. The future of the world is at stake. The United States' global power position and the world order we know, can be altered over the outcome of Taiwan. The dividing line between democracy and autocracy cuts right through the Taiwan Strait. "Ukraine today, Taiwan tomorrow." That's how many Taiwanese wrote on social media, right after Russia invaded Ukraine. The message was shared with both gloomy prediction and nervousness. Since Nancy Pelosi's visit in August 2022 and China's largest military exercises in decades, the Chinese military has attempted to establish a "new normal" with almost constant military incursions. Chinese and Taiwanese jet fighters in the air have become a part of everyday life for the Taiwanese population. China & Taiwan expert and former Danish diplomat Jonas Parello-Plesner stayed in Taiwan late 2022-2023 to investigate how the Taiwanese ensure their resilience against China. He has talked to top politicians, microchip executives, military personnel, Taiwanese volunteer soldiers in Ukraine, and digital experts to draw a close-up picture of the resilience of the small island democracy. A must read for every reader interested in geopolitics and the story of Taiwan's struggle against their big neighbor.