How Taiwan Became the World's Most Perilous Geopolitical Chokepoint | Odd Lots

The potential for a Chinese blockade of Taiwan represents a critical geopolitical and economic risk, particularly due to the island's central role in the global semiconductor supply chain. Unlike the recent disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, a blockade of Taiwan would trigger a hard reset of the global economy by halting the flow of advanced AI chips. While the U.S. military maintains a qualitative edge in high-end maritime conflict, the primary challenge lies in strategic economic resilience. China has systematically built shock absorbers into its financial system and stockpiled essential resources, whereas the U.S. and its allies remain vulnerable to economic coercion. Addressing this requires moving beyond military posturing toward a coordinated, long-term strategy of economic decoupling and supply chain security that accounts for the complex domestic politics of both Taiwan and Western nations.