Taiwan can't fend off China without US weapons

Since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the United States sent hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of weaponry to the Ukrainians. Things like Javelin anti-tank missiles and HIMARS rockets. Now, as China seems poised to launch an invasion of Taiwan, some are concerned that the U.S. might not have enough weapons to help the self-governing island defend itself.

Defending Taiwan is a vastly different undertaking from U.S. efforts with Ukraine. Unlike in Ukraine, where Russia could assemble troops along the border before invading, the Chinese would have to cross 100 miles of open ocean to launch an assault. There hasn’t been an amphibious assault on such a scale since the Korean War.

Preventing the Chinese from establishing a beachhead would be critical to defending the island. If the Chinese succeeded in establishing a footing and is able to transport troops and weapons to the island, the battle is probably over.