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The impact of a Chinese invasion — or even blockade — of Taiwan would be felt around the world by governments, citizens, companies, and industries. Experts estimate an attempted invasion would decrease global GDP by 10 per cent, with a blockade having a significant but lesser impact. (For comparison, COVID-19’s impact reached just over three per cent of global GDP).

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It’s anticipated that sanctions would be applied against China, halting the supply of “made-in-China” products to Canada.

Estimates vary, but this could affect 20 to 40 per cent of all consumer goods in Canada, significantly disrupting life, slowing activity and crippling the consumer economy.

America would likely be drawn in to a cross-straits conflict, and western democratic nations would muster to aid the U.S. and Taiwan. Economies would shift to wartime profiles, freezing development and other objectives.

The situation would worsen beyond description if regional conflict spiralled into global war — on the one side Russia and China allied with nondemocratic states, and the democracies on the other.

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Canadians are not passive passengers on the planet. What happens in Taiwan will severely impact them. Canadians must take responsibility for our collective futures, and demand government action.

Canada is dealing with several security-related challenges — including North American continental defences that need modernizing and allies in Europe attempting to deter a combative Russia.

But it’s imperative that Canadians and their government also recognize the dangers of a conflict across the straits of Taiwan, and that Ottawa acts by rapidly providing capabilities and resources to deter China from escalating.

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