The CATO Institute examines the pitfalls of a Taiwanese government declaring itself a sovereign independent nation separate from mainland China.

Taiwan will be either the hitch to American/Chinese relations or the sell-out compromise to American/Chinese relations. Taiwan officially is a vestige of the Nationalist Chinese government that fled the China mainland in defeat to the Communist forces of Mao Tse Tung. For many years Taiwan was recognized as the official China by the world. In the 1970's reality finally caught up to Taiwan and the Communist government on the mainland became the officially recognized government of the Chinese people.

Ever since, Taiwan has struggled with its identity and yet firmly remained an independent and separate government from Red China. Red China does not recognize that independence and yet has tolerated the status quo.

Complete Taiwanese independence is an extreme thorny issue with the Communist Chinese. China has slowly extended sovereignty over European managed territories like Macao and Hong Kong. Taiwan is next on their list.

Taiwan might be the bargaining chip to deal with North Korea. Imagine if China offers a military option to help unite North and South Korea in exchange for Communist Chinese occupation of Taiwan.

That might be an offer to hard to resist for a Democrat or a Republican Administration.