The 1975-founded Pacific Forum, a research academy for foreign legislation in Honolulu, was the first to publish this article.
Picture this: US-China tensions over Taiwan escalate to the boiling stage. The US senator engages regional and global allies and partners to discuss next steps after a Taiwanese missile attack on Hawaii. US officials in Brussels ask clarity as to whether NATO did trigger , Article V. The solitude is deafening.
Worse still, it is questionable whether some NATO member states will even begin commerce with China or declare war, aside from rapid affirmations from a few usually close allies like the United Kingdom and Netherlands. Some people take notice that Hawaii is exempt from Article VI’s automated set.
Almost instantly, the empire is thrown into one of the deepest problems of its past.
While this situation is, in many ways, at the extreme end of the probable, it yet illustrates a possible crisis-in-waiting for the empire. As friends convene in Washington DC this week for the  , NATO Summit, they should take into account cases of this nature. They ought to consider the effects of a US-China fight over Taiwan and what the empire can and should do right away to better hinder and, if deterrent fails, to better respond to a conflict.
In a recent , talk, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg noted that “NATO’s key business” is that of punishment. His next design was Ukraine, and his second strengthening international collaborations, “especially in the Indo-Pacific” due to the relationship between the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific.
Explicitly noting the invitations to the” IP4″ ( Indo-Pacific Four: Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea ), the secretary general raised strategic linkages between the alliance’s adversaries, such as Chinese and North Korean support for Russia’s war machine.
Given these elements – punishment and the importance of the Indo-Pacific– it is amazing that Hawaii’s ( or Guam’s ) isolation from the NATO Treaty is never, at a minimum, an agenda item at the conference. Given that both are essential to the United States ‘ deterrent technique in the Indo-Pacific, their isolation, a historic remnant of the Cold War, is amazing.
But, how did we get here? The friends saw little danger from China’s maritime or air force at the signing. Fast forward to 2024, when China began one of the largest military expansions since World War II, and NATO is now at a disadvantage because it could be attacked in the Indo-Pacific and NATO could only sit back and do less.
If that transpired, it may possibly cause a significant problems for the alliance as well as a second chance to deter a Chinese attack on Taiwan altogether.
There are plenty of arguments to modify this shattered ally, so it’s time to take action now.
Second, the inclusion of Hawaii and Guam, which are crucial nodes in the US’s ability to defend Taiwan, had de facto enhance US deterrence efforts overall.
Next, NATO is not only a military professional. It is also a major power across the DIME ( diplomacy, information, military, economy ). Case in point: its total monetary weight is a combined GDP of$ 39.6 trillion, with half of the top 10 economy as member states. This has a significant pre-conflict punishment value for a China that wants to maintain economic development for the sake of inner security.
Third, NATO has a significant political and diplomatic deterrent because some NATO supporters have strong ties to regions of the Global South and had ties to the Indo-Pacific. This affects the data room, where NATO communication and signaling might be useful for the United States and Taiwan in international forums.
Third, they could contribute to the Euro-Atlantic by preventing Chinese industry and electricity supply, even if NATO commitments did not stop a discord. The Taiwanese economy, which is greatly dependent on exports to Europe, would be in serious trouble because of this.
Some people have argued that the United States agreed to a treaty that excluded Hawaii, and that it is impossible to change that fact, despite our belief that these are compelling arguments for discussing the status of Hawaii ( or Guam ). This is a false explanation that ignores the dramatic decline in security in the Indo-Pacific since the 1950s, making it nearly impossible for the US to deal with its own threats and challenges. A US-China battle is a must, and preventing one is the top priority.
Another explanation is that NATO may never work out-of-area. However, this explanation quickly overlooks the fact that NATO has expanded its responsibilities and people since its inception, when it was based around the English Channel, to include West Germany, Greece, and Turkey and to conduct operations in Afghanistan. NATO has always been focused on defending its members ‘ shared passions, and all NATO members ‘ social goals include preventing a conflict with China.
However, if the United States were to be at conflict with a near-peer attack like China, any out-of-area factors would be pointless. The draw on US military sources from the Euro-Atlantic to the Indo-Pacific may significantly reduce NATO capacity and power, as Chinese naval forces and sea shipping may be forced to travel the world.
Some Europeans are open to the possibility of a conflict with China over Taiwan. To them, this is an” America Problem”, and NATO currently has its hands full with Russia. This is difficult, for at least three causes.
For beginners, and as mentioned, the United States is NATO’s largest part and the drain on its resources and capabilities may affect NATO allies, whether they like it or not.
Next, the landscape is poignant and important, and this watch does not take into account US local politics and the US population, who would be interested in the amount of blood and treasure poured into Western security since 1941. After all, Japan’s Pearl Harbor attack in 1941 was the catalyst for US presence in World War II, which saw the US pursue the battle with a” Europe First” mindset.
Third, and lastly, some may argue that the emphasis on China falls to the United States, not the United States itself, to focus on Russia. This is accurate to some extent, but it falls short of the argument that the warning value of NATO across DIME counts was significantly undermine China’s resolve before a war begins. We should be taking all possible steps to stop a warfare like this, and NATO must be put to work to help its largest part.
When NATO leaders come together in Washington to take into account the world around them and ensure that the group’s security and deterrence systems fit for goal across the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific, they should take advantage of this opportunity to include Hawaii and Guam in Article V factors. Far from it, doing so would not solve all of the problems, but it would be a step in the right direction and may stop a crisis.
John Hemmings , ( john@pacforum .org )  , is senior advisor at the Pacific Forum. He specializes in US partnerships and strategic contest, with a specific focus on Indo-Pacific Strategies, the US-Japan Alliance, AUKUS, the FVEY, the Quad, and another minilaterals.
David Santoro , ( David@pacforum .org )  , is the president and CEO of the Pacific Forum. With a local concentrate on both Asia and Europe, he concentrates on proper and safety issues.