The United States and China have relied for decades on military signaling to communicate resolve and deterrence over Taiwan policy. Since the election of Tsai Ing-Wen in 2016, China has conducted a range of coercive military actions, including aerial patrols and large-scale military exercises in response to perceived offenses by Taiwan and the United States, resulting in renewed calls for greater U.S. military presence and commitment. The United States has recently made a number of unambiguous signals of support for Taiwan in an effort to enhance deterrence, and China has responded by intensifying its military activities in the region, raising U.S.-China tensions to historic levels.
In an effort to illuminate paths forward for managing tensions and avoiding unnecessary conflict, the Stimson Center’s Defense Strategy and Planning program will convene a panel of experts to discuss the urgent need for effective crisis management in cross-Strait relations, drawing on lessons from past Taiwan Strait crises. The discussion will also outline the political goals, “red lines,” and signaling behaviors expected on all sides in order better understand how this new crisis may unfold, and how it can be effectively managed.
Featured Speakers
Michael Swaine, Director, East Asia Program, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft
Ketian Zhang, Assistant Professor, International Security, Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University
Lyle Morris, Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy and National Security, Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis
Moderator
James Siebens, Fellow, Defense Strategy and Planning, Stimson Center
