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China and Taiwan: Beware the Law of Unintended Consequences

China and Taiwan: Beware the Law of Unintended Consequences
The Chinese and Taiwanese printed flags, on April 28, 2022. Dado Ruvic/Reuters
Thomas Talley
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Commentary

There is a lot of writing about a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan. That body of writing tends to fall into one of two camps: 1) discussing the possibility of a Chinese invasion and 2) thinking through the tactical and operational considerations about the campaign. Here is my two cents worth: These are the wrong conversations because they distract from the real conversation that needs to happen. That conversation is about “what comes next.”

Thomas Talley
Thomas Talley
Author
Thomas Talley is a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, who served the final years of his career as a Strategic Plans Officer. A graduate of the Virginia Military Institute, Mr. Talley received a master’s degree in international relations from Troy University and a master’s degree in military arts and sciences from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. As a professional soldier, a student of international affairs, and a concerned American, Mr. Talley has spent many years reading about and coming to understand China as the pacing threat it is, long before the U.S. establishment (finally) publicly acknowledged it as such. Mr. Talley has previously been published in Small Wars Journal and IO Sphere, the professional journal of Joint Information Operations.