The Hill:

The nation’s attention has understandably been focused on the unfolding events in Afghanistan and the urgent efforts to evacuate Americans and Afghans who supported the war effort. Even as Washington manages the urgent Afghanistan crisis, however, it must simultaneously address more important, longer-term challenges, including deterring Chinese military aggression in the Indo-Pacific. This is why Congress should fully reinstate funding for air and missile defenses in Guam when it reconvenes in early September.

The United States’ chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan will no doubt have important implications for America’s global standing, but none of the potential negative consequences are as serious as the threat posed by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA). China’s rapid military buildup has shifted the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific calling into question the ability of the United States to defend long standing allies and partners in the region, including Taiwan. Beijing has made it clear that it will not rule out the use of military force to reclaim Taiwan, which it sees as a renegade province. The former commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Adm. Phil Davidson, testified before Congress earlier this year that he believes China will try to take Taiwan “in the next six years…”

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