conquest approach. Under this approach, Beijing would use what Thomas Schelling termed “brute force” to impose its will on the target state—especially by seizing control of that state’s territory—and thus present the target’s allies and partners with new facts on the ground that, Beijing would reckon, they would consider some combination of too difficult, costly, and risky to reverse.19 Although this approach would try to reduce the incentives for coalition intervention, it would primarily deter effective coalition intervention by raising the difficulty, costs, and risks such engagement would
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