Between War and Peace: The Role of Nationalism in China’s U.S. Policy Making with Regard to Taiwan

Many Chinese strategists and analysts view Taiwan as occupying a critical geostrategic location whose control would enable the PLA Navy to move its maritime defensive perimeter further seaward and improve Beijing’s ability to influence regional sea lines of communication. Alternatively, according to some observers, permanent separation of Taiwan from the mainland would constrain China’s ability to project power and provide the United States with a strategic foothold adjacent China’s coastal economic centers.