Lawmakers tasked with overseeing the United States’ strategic competition with China’s communist regime have conducted a wargame simulating a Chinese invasion of Taiwan and the U.S. response.
The House Select Committee on Strategic Competition with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) participated in the wargame, hosted by the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) think tank on April 19.
“We’re going to explore what happens in the very grim scenario in which deterrence fails in the Indo-Pacific,” Select Committee Chair Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) said according to prepared remarks.
“This is not a possibility we wish to contemplate, but one we must.”
‘Sobering Lessons’
The wargame sought to examine the potential course of events that could take place should the CCP invade Taiwan in 2027, with the Select Committee members playing for the United States and CNAS experts playing for China.
Over two and a half hours, the wargame simulated high-level strategic and operational maneuvers from both sides, including diplomatic, economic, and military actions in which the U.S. side sought to counter the CCP invasion.
The game was ultimately cut short because of time constraints, but its conclusions nevertheless presented the Select Committee with a sobering reality: Resupplying Taiwan with arms and other critical supplies after a CCP blockade had been imposed was not possible.
Likewise, without additional basing options with regional allies, the U.S. side risked immense casualties and its stockpiles of long-range missiles being depleted in short order.
Therefore, Gallagher said that the only solution was to arm Taiwan “to the teeth” now, or allow for CCP conquest later.
“We recognize the paradox of deterrence: that to achieve peace, sometimes you must prepare for conflict,” Gallagher said.
“I know the members of this committee will dig into the lessons we can learn from what may be some sobering outcomes of this game.”
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