In an era when the balance of power in the Western Pacific could determine the course of global security, the possibility of war over Taiwan has shifted from theoretical debate to urgent reality. The island’s defense is no longer just a regional matter but a flashpoint that could draw the United States, its allies, and China into a confrontation with worldwide consequences. War Plan Taiwan places today’s headlines into a century-long continuum of U.S. military planning, revealing how Washington has prepared for—and at times narrowly avoided—conflict in the Pacific. War Plan Taiwan charts the defense challenges the Western Pacific has presented to the United States since its establishment as a territorial presence in the region, including in the context of preparation for and execution of the war against Imperial Japan, the subsequent threat from the Soviet Union, and the rise of China. Incorporating a historical narrative of U.S.-Taiwan defense relations and concluding with an examination of the potential course of a 2029 conflict between a U.S.-led coalition and China in the region, this book is an invaluable resource for anyone seeking to understand Taiwan’s pivotal position in today’s new Cold War.
