The US Should Signal Willingness to Fight Global War to Deter China
Source: https://www.facebook.com/americanspectator/. "We Should Learn From the Present War, the Chinese Will | The American Spectator | USA News and Politics." March 10, 2026. spectator.org
The Gist
America should make clear it won't limit future wars with China to just one region, because China's economy depends on global trade while America can survive on its own. If China thinks a war over Taiwan would stay local, they might risk it, but if they know America would attack their ships everywhere, they'd be too scared to start anything.
Conclusion
The United States should demonstrate its willingness to wage unlimited global warfare (rather than limited regional conflicts) as the primary deterrent against Chinese aggression, particularly over Taiwan
Premises
- The US sinking of an Iranian warship in international waters signals America's willingness to fight globally rather than limit conflicts to specific regions
- China's import/export-driven economy makes it vulnerable to global naval warfare, while the US can be self-sufficient
- A limited conflict in the South China Sea would favor China due to their numerical naval superiority and proximity to the theater
- The US has depleted significant precision weapons stocks in Operation Epic Fury, revealing supply chain vulnerabilities for extended Pacific conflicts
- China can produce military equipment faster than the US military-industrial complex can currently replace it
- Historical precedent shows that powers often fail to learn lessons from contemporary conflicts, as Europeans did before WWI
Assumptions
- China's economy is more vulnerable to global supply chain disruption than the US economy
- The threat of regime survival is China's primary concern in strategic decision-making
- China would prefer to limit any conflict to the South China Sea region
- Current US military production capacity is insufficient for sustained Pacific warfare
- Chinese military capabilities are currently inferior to US capabilities but improving