Defending Taiwan: A Strategy to Prevent War with China

by Eyck Freymann

Sober, balanced, rigorously researched, and eminently readable, Defending Taiwan is a definitive guide to preventing World War III.

Taiwan is where the uneasy peace between the United States and China will be tested--and possibly broken. Beijing believes that "reunification" is inevitable. American military strength has preserved peace and stability for decades, but its advantages are eroding. Beijing has found critical gaps in U.S. strategy and is working to squeeze, isolate, and coerce Taiwan into submission without firing a shot. If deterrence fails, the consequences of a Taiwan crisis would be catastrophic--plunging the global economy into chaos, shattering U.S. alliances, and allowing China to dominate the region and reshape the world order.

In Defending Taiwan, Eyck Freymann presents the first integrated strategy to deter war with China and preserve an honorable peace. Drawing on untranslated Chinese sources, cutting-edge military and economic analysis, and deep historical research, Freymann argues that Washington's deterrence strategy must extend beyond conventional military power and familiar threats of mutually assured destruction. America must work with allies to develop a bold new vision of technological and economic statecraft--and a plan to secure its interests if deterrence fails. Freymann examines China's full range of strategic options. The United States can deter them all. But to do so, it must integrate its military strength, economic leverage, technological leadership, and diplomatic influence into a single, coherent plan to prevent war.

This is not just a book about Taiwan. It is a grand strategy to ensure lasting stability in the U.S.-China relationship. Defending Taiwan is the definitive guide to the world's most dangerous geopolitical challenge.

Genres: China, Politics, Asia, Nonfiction

651 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 17, 2026

About the author

Eyck Freymann is a DPhil candidate in China Studies at the University of Oxford. His work has been published or cited in the New York Times, The Economist, and The Atlantic.

Reviews

[David Wurster]

Four stars for the seriousness of the subject matter and the author's treatment of it. However, only two stars from the perspective of the general audience.

The author wrote this book for two types of readers: specialists in government and think tanks on one hand and general audience on the other. I think the book is very important but does not work for the general audience. It is too detailed and repetitive for the general audience. I hope it is helpful for the government audience, but my opinion of the political class is that they are not capable of serious governing or leading the general population to support what needs to be done.
This is a very serious book and subject. My first impression as I began reading is that the treatment of the subject in the media is very superficial and that so little is demanded of the voting public. The war with Iran is a prime example. A nuclear weapon in the hands of a terrorist regime is an existential threat. Gas prices are trivial. The current political class and the general population are incapable of treating Iran or Taiwan seriously.

[Murtaza]

very interesting and revealing

[Joni]

As dry as toast. I got to page 67 and could not force myself to read anymore. I'm curious how many are prasing the man, not the work.

[Emma Mil]

learned a lot! very exceptional academic writing.