"American leaders should not hesitate to rein in Taiwan’s evidently reckless leader, perhaps with a private warning. It would not be the first time that Washington has rebuked Taipei for threatening the status quo.
In the meantime, the U.S. should refocus its defense efforts in the Pacific on protecting actual treaty allies Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and South Korea—a wholly realistic and sensible goal. But Taiwan does not represent a vital U.S. national security interest. It is not a treaty ally, nor are the various geostrategic or economic rationales to defend Taiwan enough to risk a potentially catastrophic great power war."