We must also acknowledge that Beijing’s goals are bigger than annexing Taiwan. In much the way Putin has duped some Westerners into believing NATO’s mere existence is an act of belligerence, Chinese officials are making a similar case today about US alliances in Asia. American defense pacts have existed with Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, and Australia dating back to the 1950s. It is a telling clue that Beijing is much more preoccupied with the “threat” posed by these treaties now, when China is strong, than it was in past decades when it was economically and militarily weak.
