A Taiwan crisis and America’s faltering industrial base

During Chinese President Xi Jinping’s early June visit to North Korea, Kim Jong Un confirmed his support for Beijing’s “One China” principle, which has long been used to claim sovereignty over Taiwan as an inalienable part of China. Following North Korea’s support for Russia in its war in Ukraine, including an estimated 15,000 troops, questions have been raised about whether Pyongyang could play a role in a potential military confrontation between China and Taiwan. If such a crisis erupted over Taiwan tomorrow, the United States would likely find itself stretched thin, given that its industrial capacity has been seriously weakened…