Commentary The growing crisis over the Chinese regime’s threats against Taiwan requires the United States to recognize that Beijing may move against Taipei in the immediate term. U.S. decision makers consistently have mischaracterized or misperceived China’s strategic timeline—believing it to be a long-term strategic timeline, one that will be realized over many decades and generations. This is due to two causes. First, there is a common misunderstanding and misinterpretation of classical Chinese strategic texts as decision makers likely possess only a passing acquaintance with the Chinese strategic canon. Of greatest familiarity is Sun Tzu’s often paraphrased observation that to win without fighting is the acme of strategy. In fact, that text, and the others that comprise China’s corpus of the strategic thought, advocate for an immediacy of action that is far from supine or insouciant—allowing events to develop—or artfully maneuver your opponent to his downfall. Second, the conception of passivity …