China, Taiwan, and the Cost of American Power: Is It Worth Sacrificing American Lives for Taiwan?

As tensions between the United States and China escalate, Taiwan has emerged as another volatile flashpoint in global politics — and the one most likely to force an unavoidable choice. In the latest installment of The Dialogue Project, leading China policy thinkers debate the long-simmering conflict. If China threatens or invades the island, should the United States intervene, and at what cost?

If China were to threaten or invade Taiwan, should the United States be prepared to use military force to defend it? What obligations does the US have — to its allies, to democratic principles, and to its own citizens — and where should the limits of those obligations lie? Would intervention strengthen global strategy, or risk a devastating conflict between nuclear powers?

Moderated by PBS NewsHour correspondent Nick Schifrin, this Dialogue Project event brings together leading foreign policy thinkers who disagree fundamentally on how the US should answer these questions. Lyle Goldstein, Director of Asia Engagement at Brown University, argues that U.S. military defense of Taiwan is not in America’s national interest. Opposing him is Miles Yu, who served as China policy adviser to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during the first Trump Administration and contends that Taiwan’s security is inseparable from U.S. security and the global order.

This Dialogue Project conversation offers expert analysis and perspective on a question that sits at the heart of American power and responsibility. Join us for a timely, substantive discussion that will deepen your understanding of what’s at stake — and why the choices ahead will shape America’s role in the world for years to come.