comment: >
  
  It’s still the going theory it. Naval warfare has always been about access to land and denying your enemy. Missiles aircraft and CIWS/Iron Dome have only made this more true.
context: Correction “Washington has had technological hegemony for years. China big mad they won’t share.” >
  
  USA outsources majority of microchip manufacturing to TSMC 
  China eyes Taiwan enviously >
  
  Which is also why they stepped up their rhetoric about "regaining" Taiwan. 
  If they take TSMC, then they effectively has a leverage over the global economy that they can politically utilize.
  They are more likely to destroy TSMC in the process. Which is still not too bad because it would force shifting to China for alternatives, such as they are. It would also cause a major depression in global economy as supply chains collapse but China is willing to risk that (maybe).
  As long as TSMC remains free (under US protection), the current status quo is in effect. >
  
  Pretty sure America isn't willing, which is why we've partnered closer with Taiwan. Any move against Taiwan will trigger a response from America, Japan and S. Korea. Which would fuck the world economy even more. >
  
  There’s a reason TSMC is opening a chip fab in Arizona. 
  The reason that Taiwan is important is more because of their location. Japan and Korea contain the North China sea, the Ryukyu islands contain the East China Sea, and Indonesia and Malaysia contain the South China Sea and the Straight of Malacca. 
  All of them are US Allies. Right in the center of all of that is Taiwan; which protects the biggest water gap in the China Seas. This defensive perimeter effectively contains China militarily within its waters. Subs can’t pass though Non-international water into the Pacific with this perimeter.
  It becomes a significantly larger problem containing China without any of these key locations. With them, China could be effectively blockaded. Without Taiwan, it becomes virtually impossible. If China is able to escape this perimeter in any meaningful way, the risk is the capability of medium/short range missile strikes directly on US soil from submarines. >
  
  Island Chain Theory.
  Western doctrine has mostly abandoned the idea, but I believe it's still huge in Chinese strategic thinking.