How the US & China Are Preparing to Fight Total War

Summary by Krater

This video examines the geopolitical and military strategies of the United States, China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines regarding a potential conflict over Taiwan. It concludes that while both superpowers are preparing for a potential war, their military strategies rely on complex island chains and maritime chokepoints to deter or execute an invasion.

From the video

Answers: How would a war between the US and China over Taiwan actually play out?

• Taiwan Strait conflict
• First Island Chain strategy
• US military bases in Asia
• PRC military modernization
• South China Sea maritime disputes
• Malacca Strait oil supply choke point
• AUKUS security pact
• Sino-Myanmar pipelines
• Taiwanese geography and defense

What it concludes

• The US provided economic and military aid to the ROC, peaking in 1958 with nearly 20,000 US troops stationed on Taiwan.
• By 1979, the US severed formal diplomatic recognition of the ROC and removed all its troops and nuclear weapons from Taiwan.
• The PRC's military budget has exploded by more than 20 times over, reaching $293 billion per year.
• The US First Island Chain strategy relies on military bases in South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines to deter a PRC invasion of Taiwan.
• Taiwan imports 97% of its energy resources from abroad, making energy choke points critical in a conflict.
• A full-scale PRC invasion of Taiwan would require between 300,000 and 1,000,000 plus troops, making it one of the most difficult military operations in human history.