On June 11, YCAPS hosted a Community Conversation in Yokosuka, "So What? Military Implications of the PRC Gaining Control Over Taiwan". Professor Jon Caverley, visiting from Cambridge, Massachusetts, proposed a provocative re-look at conventional thinking on the defense of Taiwan. While acknowledging economy, democracy, and credibility as strategically valid reasons the United States and its allies might defend Taiwan, he questioned whether Taiwan is critical to the operational military balance between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the United States. He concluded that if the PRC has capability in the space domain, military control of Taiwan does not affect the operational balance. If the PRC were to lose space capability, Taiwan would matter - a little. In addition to highlighting the criticality of the space domain for both the PRC and the U.S., Caverley stressed the need for the U.S. Navy to remain intact as a fighting force, and for U.S. industry to posture for a prolonged struggle, rather than focusing solely on a battle for the island.
Discussant Dr. Benjamin Blandin considered Caverley's remarks and cited developments in the PRC to question whether the PRC would really attempt a "frontal invasion" of Taiwan. Both agreed that an invasion of Taiwan is only one possible action the PRC might take. YCAPS's Jeff Mazziotta moderated Q&A, during which audience members then discussed the importance to Japan of the defense of Taiwan; the expansion of maritime kill chains globally; the role of the U.S. 7th Fleet in the defense of Japan; and the PRC's strategic intentions
