The US has been blocking Chinese attempts to use force or threats to use force against Taiwan
•It feels important to protect Taiwan, an “ally” for a long time and a symbol of democracy in Asia
•While the US has declared that it would not support Taiwan’s independence, it has been insisting that differences between the two sides must be settled by peaceful means
•In a way, the US could be using Taiwan to restrain China’s rapid expansion of power
•As such, whether China likes it or not, the American factor would be a very important consideration it has to bear in mind in working towards the reunification of the country