Part 7 of our ongoing series of the rise of Chinese naval power lays out the most promising U.S. strategy to counter a Chinese blockade and/or invasion of Taiwan: a distant blockade of Chinese commercial shipping focused on major Pacific and Indian Ocean trade choke points including the Gulf of Aden, the Singapore Straits and the Strait of Malacca. While less hazardous than attempting a direct engagement with the PRC navy, this strategy also carries huge risks for the U.S. navy.