Justin Logan at the Cato Institue argues that Taiwan needs to take a more active role in defending itself from China. From a recent Washington Times op-ed:
For the last 4 years, the Bush administration has continually begged Taiwan to purchase a special $18 billion package of weapons designed to help defend against the threat from China. Due mostly to relentless obstructionism on the part of the opposition pan-Blue coalition, Taiwan has failed to pass this special budget. If the United States fails to seriously pressure Taiwan — in the form of diplomatic “sticks” — Taiwan will continue to balk, emboldening China and endangering the security of both Taiwan and the United States.
Taiwan faces arguably the most precarious security environment in the world. It sits roughly 100 miles away from the behemoth People’s Republic of China, which is aiming a considerable campaign of military modernization directly at tiny Taiwan. In the face of this dire threat, Taiwan has displayed a stunning neglect of its own defense, and not just in terms of its refusal to pass the special budget. Over the last five years, Taiwan’s overall defense spending has dropped roughly 25 percent, to an anemic 2.4 percent of gross domestic product.
The reason it has the luxury to do so, according to Taiwan expert James Mulvenon, is Taiwan’s belief in a “blank check of military support from the United States.”
Michael Turton disagrees and has some interesting analysis of Logan’s position.