Why Taiwan and the South China Sea are pivotal to U.S. and global interests

In a recent Senate debate, Darline Graham struggled to explain whether the United States has a national security stake in Taiwan and the South China Sea, drawing sharp criticism for saying security is “not my thing.” The two regions are intertwined: Taiwan dominates the global supply of advanced semiconductors, while the South China Sea is a vital shipping lane for worldwide commerce. Beijing claims sovereignty over both, a stance that pits it against U.S. partners such as the Philippines and Vietnam.

Analysts note that a Chinese attempt to seize Taiwan could trigger immediate spill-over into the sea, endangering trade routes that connect the Malacca Strait, the Taiwan Strait, and the broader Pacific. Recent confrontations, including Chinese coast-guard actions and joint U.S.-Philippines drills, underscore the heightened tension. The United States views preventing Chinese regional dominance as its primary goal, but shifting military deployments, like the redeployment of the USS George Washington, test its capacity to maintain a presence in the western Pacific.