Yen-han Chen 陳彥翰 🇹🇼🇺🇸🇺🇦
@chen-yenhan.bsky.social
Georgetown Security Studies Program. Taiwan's defense, Taiwan military history, U.S.-Taiwan relations. Brock Purdy acolyte.
中文/上海话/ENG/FR
中文/上海话/ENG/FR
Pinned
Taiwan Relations Act in a New Era of Security Cooperation - Foreign Policy Research Institute
For a document intended to carefully outline relations with a key US partner while navigating a region’s complex history and geopolitical realities, eight
www.fpri.org
The Foreign Policy Research Institute just published my commentary on how the U.S. can use the Taiwan Relations Act to provide Taiwan with the military capabilities it needs as the military balance shifts across the Strait!
To be honest, most rungs of the escalation ladder are below this one, and when things come down to launching missiles at the Three Gorges Dam, then it might be a good time to say we are all doomed.
February 12, 2026 at 5:21 AM
To be honest, most rungs of the escalation ladder are below this one, and when things come down to launching missiles at the Three Gorges Dam, then it might be a good time to say we are all doomed.
i have a mark 1 tank embedded in my bedroom wall just in case. 1916 edition. more useful than a knife in close quarters.
February 12, 2026 at 5:19 AM
i have a mark 1 tank embedded in my bedroom wall just in case. 1916 edition. more useful than a knife in close quarters.
Arguably, they have been doing this on and off since Nixon.
It was just politically more difficult to do the things they do now back then.
It was just politically more difficult to do the things they do now back then.
February 12, 2026 at 3:43 AM
Arguably, they have been doing this on and off since Nixon.
It was just politically more difficult to do the things they do now back then.
It was just politically more difficult to do the things they do now back then.
Well, the LDP flipped Okinawa this year.
The Japanese Communist Party held the seat since 2017.
The Japanese Communist Party held the seat since 2017.
February 12, 2026 at 3:41 AM
Well, the LDP flipped Okinawa this year.
The Japanese Communist Party held the seat since 2017.
The Japanese Communist Party held the seat since 2017.
It (kind of) does not matter whether China's belief stems from fear of the US military or other factors.
To quote Barry Posen, grand strategy is "a state’s theory about how it can best 'cause' security for itself." We have the state at our disposal. We should not limit ourselves to INDOPACOM.
To quote Barry Posen, grand strategy is "a state’s theory about how it can best 'cause' security for itself." We have the state at our disposal. We should not limit ourselves to INDOPACOM.
February 12, 2026 at 3:33 AM
It (kind of) does not matter whether China's belief stems from fear of the US military or other factors.
To quote Barry Posen, grand strategy is "a state’s theory about how it can best 'cause' security for itself." We have the state at our disposal. We should not limit ourselves to INDOPACOM.
To quote Barry Posen, grand strategy is "a state’s theory about how it can best 'cause' security for itself." We have the state at our disposal. We should not limit ourselves to INDOPACOM.
China, right now, believes that the costs of attacking Taiwan are unacceptable, U.S. deployment or otherwise.
I think it's important that the doom and gloom about deterrence and the future of the free world not come from the free world. To believe that we are doomed is to doom ourselves.
I think it's important that the doom and gloom about deterrence and the future of the free world not come from the free world. To believe that we are doomed is to doom ourselves.
Does anyone seriously believe the US would defend Taiwan?
If China moves to attack, Trump will tell the truth about it, side with the smaller democracy over the larger authoritarian, strenuously object, send more arms, deploy US military assets, and risk/endure casualties?
Who’s confident in that?
If China moves to attack, Trump will tell the truth about it, side with the smaller democracy over the larger authoritarian, strenuously object, send more arms, deploy US military assets, and risk/endure casualties?
Who’s confident in that?
February 12, 2026 at 3:28 AM
China, right now, believes that the costs of attacking Taiwan are unacceptable, U.S. deployment or otherwise.
I think it's important that the doom and gloom about deterrence and the future of the free world not come from the free world. To believe that we are doomed is to doom ourselves.
I think it's important that the doom and gloom about deterrence and the future of the free world not come from the free world. To believe that we are doomed is to doom ourselves.
Reposted by Yen-han Chen 陳彥翰 🇹🇼🇺🇸🇺🇦
After getting back from his big meeting with Wang Hu-ning in Beijing, KMT deputy chairman Hsiao Hsu-tsen had this to say about the US ambassador to Taiwan: "Raymond Greene is just a bit more than section chief, if that—he may not even be a division director."
news.ltn.com.tw/news/politic...
news.ltn.com.tw/news/politic...
剛從中國回來就開轟AIT！蕭旭岑：谷立言只比科長大一點 - 政治 - 自由時報電子報
中國國民黨副主席蕭旭岑本月2日至4日率團前往中國參加「兩岸交流合作前瞻論壇」。針對外傳立法院外交國防委員會的國民黨立委遭受美方施壓，蕭旭岑今（6）日批評此為「美國政客對台灣內政說三道四」。另外，對美國在台協會（AIT）處長谷立言近來言論，他更批「谷立言只比科長大一點而已，搞不好連司長都不是」。他還說，自己在中國見到的宋濤、王滬寧是「部長級」和「正國級」，在台灣卻被比司長小的官員整天提出要求，很奇怪...
news.ltn.com.tw
February 7, 2026 at 4:29 AM
After getting back from his big meeting with Wang Hu-ning in Beijing, KMT deputy chairman Hsiao Hsu-tsen had this to say about the US ambassador to Taiwan: "Raymond Greene is just a bit more than section chief, if that—he may not even be a division director."
news.ltn.com.tw/news/politic...
news.ltn.com.tw/news/politic...
Taiwan's air force procuring the F-CK-1, F-16, and Mirage 2000 in the 1990s:
February 11, 2026 at 11:07 PM
Taiwan's air force procuring the F-CK-1, F-16, and Mirage 2000 in the 1990s:
Taiwan to purchase 102 Patriot PAC-3 MSE missiles, sources tell Liberty Times.
The missiles will be purchased with the US$40 billion special defense budget.
The missiles will be purchased with the US$40 billion special defense budget.
February 11, 2026 at 4:00 PM
Taiwan to purchase 102 Patriot PAC-3 MSE missiles, sources tell Liberty Times.
The missiles will be purchased with the US$40 billion special defense budget.
The missiles will be purchased with the US$40 billion special defense budget.
glass houses
February 10, 2026 at 6:33 PM
glass houses
You, citizen, are the only ones who can do anything to save your country.
February 10, 2026 at 6:23 PM
You, citizen, are the only ones who can do anything to save your country.
Chinese J-16 fighters flew aggressively and simulated attacks when intercepted by Taiwan's F-16s during Exercise Justice Mission 2025, sources tell Financial Times.
February 10, 2026 at 6:19 PM
Chinese J-16 fighters flew aggressively and simulated attacks when intercepted by Taiwan's F-16s during Exercise Justice Mission 2025, sources tell Financial Times.
Please explain to me why it’s perfect okay that NATO expanded to the U.S. at its founding, but it’s not okay for Ukraine or Georgia to want to exist in the same security environment as you?
February 9, 2026 at 9:38 PM
Please explain to me why it’s perfect okay that NATO expanded to the U.S. at its founding, but it’s not okay for Ukraine or Georgia to want to exist in the same security environment as you?
Complaints about “NATO expansion” by Americans is basically telling post-colonial states that they don’t have a right to enjoy the security benefits that the people saying this take for granted.
February 9, 2026 at 9:30 PM
Complaints about “NATO expansion” by Americans is basically telling post-colonial states that they don’t have a right to enjoy the security benefits that the people saying this take for granted.
There's a certain country with 23 million Chinese-speaking liberal democrats (some more liberal than others, some more democratic than others) who also love baseball
February 9, 2026 at 5:59 AM
There's a certain country with 23 million Chinese-speaking liberal democrats (some more liberal than others, some more democratic than others) who also love baseball
Reposted by Yen-han Chen 陳彥翰 🇹🇼🇺🇸🇺🇦
Reporters and police surrounded Cardinal Joseph Zen and Jimmy Lai's wife Theresa as they left the courthouse after the media tycoon was sentenced to 20-years in prison. They got onto a seven-seater vehicle.
February 9, 2026 at 3:13 AM
Reporters and police surrounded Cardinal Joseph Zen and Jimmy Lai's wife Theresa as they left the courthouse after the media tycoon was sentenced to 20-years in prison. They got onto a seven-seater vehicle.
hi neighbor!
February 9, 2026 at 4:51 AM
hi neighbor!
Mirage 2000s have been much more expensive to maintain than F-16s and F-CK-1s.
And that's only when Taiwan actually gets to buy the equipment.
And that's only when Taiwan actually gets to buy the equipment.
February 8, 2026 at 10:30 PM
Mirage 2000s have been much more expensive to maintain than F-16s and F-CK-1s.
And that's only when Taiwan actually gets to buy the equipment.
And that's only when Taiwan actually gets to buy the equipment.
Additionally, I think the assumption that a Taiwan Strait contingency will be a limited war is a mistake to begin with
February 8, 2026 at 10:27 PM
Additionally, I think the assumption that a Taiwan Strait contingency will be a limited war is a mistake to begin with
You also physically cannot both sail across the Taiwan Strait and set up a beachhead in “a few hours.”
The constraints of physics forbid it.
The constraints of physics forbid it.
February 8, 2026 at 9:43 PM
You also physically cannot both sail across the Taiwan Strait and set up a beachhead in “a few hours.”
The constraints of physics forbid it.
The constraints of physics forbid it.
It would take a few hours for Chinese ships to even just sail across the Taiwan Strait.
February 8, 2026 at 9:42 PM
It would take a few hours for Chinese ships to even just sail across the Taiwan Strait.
Why is it that you have a problem with Taiwan resisting an authoritarian ideology then?
February 8, 2026 at 9:35 PM
Why is it that you have a problem with Taiwan resisting an authoritarian ideology then?
The U.S. is far more reliable than “other NATO countries,” “Asian countries,” or Israel in this respect.
This isn’t the 1980s anymore.
This isn’t the 1980s anymore.
February 8, 2026 at 9:31 PM
The U.S. is far more reliable than “other NATO countries,” “Asian countries,” or Israel in this respect.
This isn’t the 1980s anymore.
This isn’t the 1980s anymore.
Image dated 2/6.
February 8, 2026 at 8:28 PM
Image dated 2/6.
Zhang Shengmin is alive.
(He is the man standing behind Xi Jinping here at a function to celebrate retired military and party members)
(He is the man standing behind Xi Jinping here at a function to celebrate retired military and party members)
February 8, 2026 at 8:25 PM
Zhang Shengmin is alive.
(He is the man standing behind Xi Jinping here at a function to celebrate retired military and party members)
(He is the man standing behind Xi Jinping here at a function to celebrate retired military and party members)