Showdown Taiwan: The United States and China Face a Crucial Confrontation 

The government of Xi Jinping is increasing military and other pressures on Taiwan in an apparent attempt to force it to submit to the mainland’s control. Chinese military aircraft including bombers are regularly testing Taiwan's air defenses and Beijing's global pressure campaign has kept Taiwan out of the World Health Organization and other important international forums.

The new administration of President Joseph Biden has signaled strong support for Taiwan, but it remains to be seen how it will conduct military, diplomatic and economic exchanges with Taiwan that risk provoking strong responses from Beijing. Will it maintain a policy of "strategic ambiguity" regarding its commitment to Taiwan's defense? Does it still possess the military power to successfully defend Taiwan in view of China’s strengthened military and technology sectors?

RSVPs are essential. Register now to receive credentials to join via email about an hour before the program. The online platform we'll use is to be announced. 

The panel will feature:

Si-Fu Ou, Director, Division of Chinese Politics, Military and Warfighting Concepts, Taiwan’s Institute for National Defense and Security Research. (Speaking from Taiwan.)

Bonnie Glaser is Director of the China Power Project and a Senior Adviser for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

Dexter "Tiff" Roberts, who spent 23 years in Beijing for BusinessWeek magazine and is the author of The Myth of Chinese Capitalism. He is a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council's Asia Security Initiative and is based at the Mansfield Center in Montana.

Moderating will be William J. Holstein, past OPC president who was based in Hong Kong and Beijing.