Invading Taiwan would be a logistical minefield for China

The beaches of the tiny island of Kinmen are still dotted with reminders of the PLA’s first attempt to invade Taiwan. Rusted anti-landing spikes jut from the shallows. Beyond the dunes lie anti-aircraft batteries and old houses pockmarked with bullet holes. Inland, a small museum displays rifles and tanks used in the battle that would haunt the PLA for decades—and lay the ground for the present-day stand-off between China and America.