Why Taiwan might be the next global flashpoint Why Taiwan might be the next global flashpoint Why does China have Taiwan in its sights? What does Taiwan want? And how would the US â and Australia â be likely to respond if there was an attack? Normal text size Very large text size An island 200 kilometres off the coast of China looms as the biggest international test of the Biden administration and Beijingâs relationship with the world. Characterised by its liberal democracy, resilient economy and the existential threat of invasion, Taiwan has lived under a cloud for more than half a century.