Deterrence in Defense of Taiwan

Published March 27, 2024

In 1950, US Secretary of State Dean Acheson outlined American military commitments in eastern Asia, hoping to deter Soviet and Chinese communist expansion.  What became known as the "Acheson Line" notably excluded Korea and Taiwan and, inadvertently, informed communist powers where they could expand without US resistance, leading to immediate consequences such as the Korean War and decades of communist expansion. The Acheson Line's failure to include Taiwan has led to unresolved issues, with China now seeking to reclaim the island nation under its authoritarian rule. To prevent a repeat of the Acheson Line's mistakes, the United States must adopt a long-term strategy that supports Taiwan's sovereignty and invests in its self-defense capabilities while projecting strength and maintaining a committed presence to curb China's ambitions.

Check Out More from Col. Henry Brown:

• Read "Battling the Numbers: South Korea’s Military Downsizes Amid Challenging Demographic Landscape" from Henry Brown here.
• Read "One war, one speech, and one aggressive, rising China" from Henry Brown here.
• Learn more about Col. Henry Brown here.

Check Out More on Deterrence:

• Watch "Deterrence in Foreign Policy: Lessons from World War II" from Victor Davis Hanson here.
• Watch "Deterrence by Denial" from H.R. McMaster here.
• Read the book "Deterrence: Its Past and Future" from George P. Schultz, Sidney D. Dress, and James Goodby here.  

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