American missiles have been deployed on China's doorstep as Donald Trump prepares to visit China this week. Taiwan is set to position American-made Himars missile systems on two strategically located islands just miles from mainland China in a move aimed at creating a military “dead zone” against any invasion attempt.

The high-mobility artillery rocket systems will be deployed on the Penghu archipelago, situated off Taiwan’s main island, and Dongyin island - Taiwan’s northernmost territory - which lies fewer than 30 miles from the Chinese coast. A military source told Liberty Times the primary objective was to establish a “dead zone” that would deter China’s People’s Liberation Army from approaching Taiwan.

The source said placing the missile systems on Penghu and Dongyin rather than Taiwan’s main island would “exponentially increase” their effectiveness by enabling strikes on Chinese military installations along the coast. Under the strategy, Chinese forces could reportedly be forced to retreat at least 60 miles from the shoreline if Beijing launched an invasion of Taiwan.

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