Three years ago, I wrote that America’s strategic interest in deterring aggression against Taiwan was “paramount” because Taiwan sat at the intersection of semiconductors, military geography, alliance credibility, economic security, and democratic resilience. Since then, those dynamics have only intensified. Taiwan is no longer simply a regional flashpoint. It increasingly sits near the center of a broader systems competition that will shape global power for decades to come. China increasingly thinks in systems: industrial systems, energy systems, AI infrastructure, critical minerals, advanced manufacturing, ports and logistics, financial influence, and long-term supply-chain resilience. The United States still often approaches these issues transactionally — focusing on tariffs, quarterly economics, tactical negotiations, and short-term political wins. That asymmetry matters.