U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur referred to Taiwan as an “unsinkable aircraft carrier.” That statement remains true, as Taiwan is considered a key to the United States’ “First Island Chain” defense. However, relations between China and Taiwan have evolved from a domestic issue to a regional and a significant international problem. Mired with politics, power projections, and changes within China and Taiwan, cross-strait relations have become a potential flashpoint posing possible concerns for Indo-Pacific countries (among others). The continuity of the status quo in the Taiwan Strait – where Taiwanese leaders do not declare independence and China does not use force to take control over Taiwan – is crucial to the peace in the region.