>>We should not betray the trust that the Taiwanese have in us.
>>Agree? Disagree?
I agree, but at the same time the Taiwanese are betraying our trust to a certain extent. We have offered them advanced weapons, including our newest PAC-3 anti-ballistic missiles, and they have so far not purchased them. Their parliament is more interested in spending money on "social programs".
There comes a point where the US must say, "If you want us to defend you, then put your money where your mouth is."
If Taiwan won't spend their own money for their own defense, I am not sure why we should spend our lives and money defending them.
Even if they buy this time, ultimately, they can not afford the weapons which they need to compete with mainland China. There might be reasons that some Taiwanese are daydreaming that the americans will protect them for free, however, I would rather believe that they can not afford this time. I heard that the Taiwan government has to liquidate some government-owned properties to seal the shortage of the money.