I would like to share with you an inspirational essay which tells readers why a nation being lagging behind is bound to be vulnerable to attack from outside.  

http://user.guancha.cn/main/content?id=173471&page=1

PS It is China Mainland that deters America, Jap, and other imperialists from covering Taiwan or ROC-in exile.  Ironically, Taiwan is doing the other way round: using trade surplus gained from Mainland to make up the trade deficit from Japan, and the residual money goes to junk weapons from America.  So in fact Taiwan is not physcially lagging behind; it is mentally retarded.