WASHINGTON — As the war rages on in Ukraine, the United States is doing more than supporting an ally. It's learning lessons — with an eye toward a possible clash with China.
No one knows what the next U.S. major military conflict will be or whether the U.S. will send troops — as it did in Afghanistan and Iraq — or provide vast amounts of aid and expertise, as it has done with Ukraine.
But China remains America's biggest concern. U.S. military officials say Beijing wants to be ready to invade the self-governing island of Taiwan by 2027, and the U.S. remains the island democracy's chief ally and supplier of defense weapons.
While there are key differences in geography and in U.S. commitment to come to Taiwan's defense, “there are clear parallels between the Russian invasion of Ukraine and a possible Chinese attack on Taiwan,” a Center for Strategic and International Studies report found last month.
A look at some of the lessons from the Ukraine war and how they could apply to a Taiwan conflict:
Arm in advance
Soon after Russian troops crossed into Ukraine last February, the U.S. and allies began sending massive amounts of weapons across the border from partner nations.
But Taiwan would need to be fully armed in advance, CSIS found in dozens of war scenarios it ran for its report.
“The ‘Ukraine model' cannot be replicated in Taiwan because China can isolate the island for weeks or even months,”…
