On Taiwan and Berlin

In a physical, military, and geopolitical sense, today’s Taiwan resembles West Berlin at the beginning of the Cold War. Assume that the Chinese at some point impose a blockade, as the Soviets did to Berlin in 1948. Would it be possible to supply the island by air in the same way in an effort to avoid both war and surrender?

Technology has improved since then, and America would have the assistance of Japan, Australia, and possibly the Filipinos, but the vastly larger population of Taiwan relative to Berlin would make it a huge challenge.

My best guess is that enough food could be provided to (barely) sustain the population, but that it would be impossible to deliver enough fuel to keep the Taiwanese economy going. At a minimum, life on the island would become extremely difficult.

Let’s hope we never find out.