Idle, slightly inebreated thought.
I've been reading papers on Taiwan and Operation Change of Direction this weekend and, while I might be chasing phantoms, I started to see a lot of connections between the attributes Hezbollah exhibited in '06 and the traits that the ROC would need to embody in order to survive a hypothetical war in the straits.
Does anyone think that the ROC and other regional powers could effectively respond to conventional over-match by the PRC and a changing regional geopolitical calculus by adopting force structures and doctrines typified by Hezbollah and related hybrid actors?
The RoC is not that vulnerable?
I know we have discussed the defence of the RoC / Taiwan before, which Carl has raised again, posing his question.
My first reaction to offensive action by PRC was how would the one million RoC citizens who have been reported to reside in PRC react? Even if outnumbered and there mainly pursuing business and with a good number of students.
On reflection I cannot recall any mention of Taiwan's non-military capabilities, notably financial to possibly disrupt the PRC.
Then's the evolving, if ephemeral feeling that "small is beautiful, leave them alone". It is not as if the larger states have an impeccable record, say in comparison to Switzerland. Imagine if buying Chinese products was frowned upon by a movement akin to Anti-Apartheid - Boycott the Bully. Yes I know many cite a US bank's decision on South African loans was the catalyst for change. The Chinese have historically paid great attention to 'face'.
Apologies for this non-American interlude.