“Washington is alarmed over the timing”
I’ll bet they are because China is refusing to allow the US control of its vital shipping lanes, and using Taiwan as an excuse as to why we have so many naval assets in the region. If NATO winds up declaring war on Russia, you can be sure soon afterwards China makes its move on Taiwan.
Xi would be foolish to do so. Japan is still there, and Japan will not allow that to happen.
They may not be a publicly-declared nuclear country, but I am willing to bet they have them and could deliver them with Lexus precision tomorrow.
“If NATO winds up declaring war on Russia, you can be sure soon afterwards China makes its move on Taiwan.”
NATO is not going to declare war on Russia. My God, the hyperbole on FR has become silly.