Whether the U.S. should prioritize combating China – over Beijing's apparent plans to take Taiwan – or countering Russia – amid President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine – has become a heated point of contention in Washington, D.C., foreign policy circles.

Former Deputy Defense Secretary Elbridge Colby, who was instrumental in writing the 2018 National Defense Strategy, contends that preparing for the inevitable war with China over Taiwan should take precedence over Ukraine. He has vociferously argued his contention on social media, in open forums, and in written columns.