WEEKEND ESSAY
Another big war in 2024 will test the West to its limits
As if Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and growing conflict in the Middle East weren’t enough to contend with, this year Taiwan may become the new battleground. But there is still hope the international order can be saved, writes Roger Boyes
American troops are being trained in readiness for a possible war between China and Taiwan
The Times
They have been sitting in the tropical undergrowth of Hawaii; sitting, then marching, pausing so as not to startle birds, learning to cock their guns silently. American soldiers have taken up jungle training again, guided partly by Vietnam-era textbooks, because 2024 might be the year when they see action in the humid green heart of Taiwan.
The US army has spent decades preparing for war in Afghanistan and Iraq. Now it needs to hone new skills as the threat pivots towards China and the unpredictable plans of Xi Jinping. The political calculation — that a victory for the frontrunner, Lai Ching-te, in the Taiwan presidential election on January 13 could draw an unusually aggressive reaction from Beijing — may be alarmist. For one thing, the
