Eyck Freymann

Because the island's geography is just extremely difficult.

And they've been working on that problem for 70 years.

And I think they're not satisfied yet, but they're getting closer.

Why does it matter?

The first reason is geography.

So Taiwan is a link in the first island chain, an archipelago that goes from Japan, actually starting in the Russian Kuril Islands, all the way down into the South China Sea.

And one of the guest speakers that I brought in is somebody who basically got punished because of who he worked for.

And you sort of have to look at a topographic map.

Because in between those islands, the sea is often so shallow that you can't navigate through.

So there's only a few choke points in between these islands that you can actually navigate through.

And that means China's navy, which is now the world's largest in fleet size, is like a bird in a cage.

They're trapped in these little inland seas, the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, the South China Sea.

And they want to burst out into the wider waters of the Western Pacific to project power globally.

But they can't do it as long as the US has allies and partners all astride that island chain.

So that's the first reason.

A second reason is the semiconductor fabrication facilities on Taiwan.

Donald Trump doesn't care about anything other than loyalty.

And then the third reason is...

the role that Taiwan plays in the regional economic order and the way that Taiwan might fall would set a precedent for China's ability to use economic coercion against other countries in the region.

And you put these all together and you see, if they can get this, all of the dominoes fall and they can achieve national rejuvenation pretty quick.