The wrong message can lead to misunderstanding and disaster.

Consider that in January 1950, the American government stated that the United States would rely on naval and air forces to hold a defensive perimeter of certain offshore islands. These primarily consisted of Japan, Okinawa and the Philippines. This basically said to North Korea’s Kim Il-sung, China’s Mao Zedong and the Soviet Union’s Joseph Stalin, that the rest of East Asia was theirs for the taking.

Less than six months later, in June 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea. In spite of the earlier declaration, America went to war to protect its ally South Korea from North Korea, a Communist ally of China and the Soviet Union. Over thirty-six thousand Americans died fighting that war.

Today, that original 1950’s American declaration still leaves Taiwan at the mercy of China. America needs to be very clear about its intentions and capabilities in order to deter future aggression.