“Taiwan is the #1 leader in semiconductor manufacturing worldwide. The US does not want China gaining dominance over such an important market… there is still a serious national interest for the US to defend Taiwan. North Korea isn’t the up and coming rival of the US the way China is.”
Marxist: America’s national interest would be much better served by the elimination of North Korea, via it being absorbed into South Korea, at the trade-off of granting China the benefits of acquiring Taiwan. North Korea is mortal nuclear threat to the world. Taiwan is, by comparison, only an economic advantage.