Xi Faces Higher Costs in Taiwan Than Trump Does in Venezuela (1)

Donald Trump’s surprise attack on Venezuela has generated debate over whether the US leader set a precedent for Xi Jinping to undertake a similar strike in Taiwan. Either way, the stakes for Beijing are far higher.

Trump’s naval blockade on the South American nation and lightning strike to capture its leader Nicolas Maduro came just days after China held major drills around Taiwan to prepare for similar scenarios. The People’s Liberation Army only last week simulated a siege of Taiwan’s major ports, military bases and energy supplies, and even touted rehearsing “decapitation strikes” on the island’s leaders. ...