China’s potential plans to invade Taiwan have become a matter of concern for the U.S. and its allies. According to U.S. intelligence reports, China’s President Xi Jinping has instructed his military to be prepared for an invasion by 2027. While it is not clear whether Xi has decided to invade Taiwan in 2027 or any other year, the U.S. must take the desire to control Taiwan seriously.

The split between Taiwan and China occurred in 1949 after a civil war that ended with the Communist Party in control of the mainland. Taiwan acts like a sovereign nation, but it is not recognized by the United Nations or any major country. In response, Congress passed the Taiwan Relations Act in 1979 to create a benchmark for a continuing relationship. The U.S. has displayed numerous shows of support for Taiwan, with President Joe Biden stating that American forces would defend Taiwan if China tries to invade.

CIA Director William Burns emphasized that President Xi and his military leadership have doubts about whether they could accomplish an invasion. He added that the support from the U.S. and European allies for Ukraine following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of that country may be acting as a potential deterrent to Chinese officials. However, the risks of a possible attack on Taiwan will only grow stronger, and China has been increasing military drills near Taiwan to prepare.

Taiwan’s defense minister, Chiu Kuo-cheng, has stated that Taiwan is ready to defend itself from China, but he hopes to continue discussions with China to resolve the issue peacefully. Taiwan has also sought to strengthen its military ties with other countries, including the U.S. In response to China’s military drills, the U.S. has sent warships through the Taiwan Strait and continued to sell weapons to Taiwan.

The situation between Taiwan and China remains tense, with the potential for military conflict looming. It is crucial for the U.S. and its allies to continue supporting Taiwan and closely monitoring the situation to prevent a conflict from escalating. The U.S. must also be prepared to defend Taiwan if necessary while seeking a peaceful resolution to the issue.