Taiwan Strait crisis still a top US threatCOUNCIL FINDING: If Beijing acts, it might threaten the US homeland, a defense treaty ally or a strategic interest, and trigger a military response, a think tank saidBy Liu Tzu-hsuan / Staff reporterA potential crisis across the Taiwan Strait on Thursday was rated as one of the top threats to US interests for the fourth consecutive year by the US Council on Foreign Relations. Photo: ReutersThe likelihood of such a crisis is “moderate,” but its effect on US interests would be “high,” the report said. The annual report rated possible conflicts between the US and China over Taiwan as a “Tier II (Medium Priority)” threat for its assessments in 2019 and 2020. As tensions between Washington and Beijing intensified and the frequency of Chinese military activities near Taiwan increased, the situation was classified as a “Tier I” risk for the first time in 2021. The survey was conducted in November last year, receiving about 500 responses from US government officials, foreign policy experts and academics, it said.
