The Boiling Moat: Urgent Steps to Defend Taiwan

Published December 17, 2024

While deterrence served the United States well during the Cold War, in recent years America has been ineffective in deterring China and Xi Jinping’s ambitions to force reunification – possibly through a military invasion – with Taiwan. Taiwan’s strategic importance both as the provider of advanced semiconductors and as an invaluable democratic ally in the region, insists that the United States explicitly prioritize military deterrence. Through meaningful investments in legacy weapons systems and emerging technologies, as well as bolstering alliances and partnerships in the region, the United States can protect Taiwan, maintain its technological dominance, and sustain peace in the region.

Matt Pottinger is a distinguished visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution.  Pottinger served the White House for four years in senior roles on the National Security Council staff, including as deputy national security advisor from 2019 to 2021.

Check out more from Matt Pottinger:

• Watch or listen to Matt Pottinger's discussion with Hoover Senior Fellow, Elizabeth Economy on China Considered "US-China Policy in Trump 2.0" here.
• Watch "Cold War II - Just How Dangerous is China?" with Matt Pottinger on Uncommon Knowledge here.
• Read "The Myth of Accidental Wars" by Matt Pottinger and Matthew Turpin from the Hoover Digest here.
• Read "Taiwan is Trying to Learn from the Wars in Gaza" by Matt Pottinger from The Economist here.

The opinions expressed in this video are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Hoover Institution or Stanford University. © 2024 by the Board of Trustees of Leland Stanford Junior University.