US must commit to Taiwan, says Abe.

""Russia's invasion of Ukraine has reminded many people of the fraught relationship between China and Taiwan," wrote former Prime Minister of Japan Abe Shinzo. The differences between Ukraine and Taiwan are 1. Ukraine is an independent nation, but "Neither Japan nor the US has official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, and most countries around the world do not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state." China can take over Taiwan as one of its provinces. 2. The Taiwan Relations Act of the US requires it to provide Taiwan with military equipment "necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain sufficient self-defense capacity". However, the crucial differences are 1. Ukraine has land borders with many European countries, google maps, through which it is being supplied with advanced weapons by the US and around 30 other countries, India Today. Whereas, Taiwan is a tiny island near the coast of mainland China and can be blockaded, preventing any supplies, google maps. Thousands of foreign fighters are fighting for the Ukraine army, India Today, but it will be impossible for significant numbers of foreigners to come to Taiwan. Taiwan has a population of about 24 million, wikipedia, and though 71% of the population is between 15 and 64 years of age how many will be able to carry weapons? "The time has come for the US to make clear that it will defend Taiwan against any attempted Chinese invasion," wrote Abe. But, is the US prepared to take significant losses in lives and equipment and will it use nuclear weapons if it does? The world has noticed the use of savage sanctions on Russia. "When fully unleashed, sanctions, too, are weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). They may not topple buildings, but they destroy firms, financial institutions, livelihoods, and even lives. Like military WMDs, they inflict pain indiscriminately, striking both the culpable and the innocent," wrote Prof Raghuram Rajan. The Solomon Islands have signed a pact with China which "said Chinese warships could stop in the Solomon Islands and China could send police and armed forces there", ABC news. "German employers and unions have joined together in opposing an immediate European Union ban on natural gas imports from Russia" because it would "lead to factory shutdowns and loss of jobs", ABC news. Despite past enmity the regime in Iran is siding with Russia against Ukraine, AP. Iran has been suffering under severe US sanctions for decades, wikipedia. President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran vowed to target Israel's heart if it tried to attack Iran, VOA. If Russia helps Iran to make tactical nukes oil prices will go to infinity and the global economy, including those of the US and Europe, will collapse. Russian oil and gas will become invaluable. Russia's invasion of Ukraine and China's refusal to join in the Western sanctions mean that "it can no longer be satisfactory to let market forces alone dominate trade and global economy," wrote Alex Brummer. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen wants the world to move to "friend shoring". Which means a breakup of the world into regions, with countries creating different currencies for trade. That will end US dominance. You can detonate WMDs. But you cannot control the results.