"A Wargame to Take Taiwan, from China’s Perspective" Topic

In August 2025, 25 international experts gathered at Syracuse University to do something unusual: plan China's invasion of Taiwan. For two days, academics, policy analysts, and current and former U.S. officials abandoned their typical defensive postures and attempted to inhabit Beijing's offensive strategic mindset in a wargame. They debated not how America should respond to Chinese aggression, but how China might overcome the obstacles that have so far kept it from attacking the island nation.

This role reversal yielded an uncomfortable insight. The invasion scenarios that dominate U.S. military planning — involving massive amphibious assaults on Taiwan and preemptive strikes on American bases — may fundamentally misread Beijing's calculus. As the wargame revealed, analysts seeking to understand China's intentions should pay greater attention to plausible alternative military pathways to reunification that involve far less force and far more political calculation.

link

Wolfhag

Nice!

Many thanks!

I wonder how many participants have actually been to Taiwan and had any interaction with their military. There were good reasons why we bypassed Formosa in WWII. The island has had 60 years to improve upon their defenses.

Guess there are still some dedicated armchair generals out there. (Which is not really a bad thing- I think all of us are to some degree.)

Interesting read. I can see SU from my office. Should of put on one of my 'Historicon' t-shirt, grabbed a case of beer and walked over with my copy of 'Harpoon'. lol.