Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've always considered them to be a "trump-card" against any developments that negate surface craft. Suppose in a future "Battle of the Taiwan Straight" the PRC makes it sufficiently unhealthy that our carriers can't support the ROC? And things are marginal for the destroyers we can spare? If they can't also negate the attack subs.... I would cut the carrier force before I'd cut the attack subs.
At the danger of starting something political, I don't think the US can win a war with China in the Taiwan straight regardless of fleet composition. China is not Iraq in terms of signals intelligence, electronic warfare capability, and nuclear arsenal. Never mind financial and political wherewithal. The Chinese were more than a match sixty years ago to the point that MacArthur was fired over wanting to go hot with th…
Even then, with the PRC entering the war rather late in the game, the total for the war kill ratios were 1-3 in our favor.
The ability of the ROC and the US to win such a modern battle of the Taiwan Straights depends on too many unknowns for us to make any solid predictions right now. How much of Taiwan is the PRC willing to destroy to capture it? Can a clever attack by air avoid the "million man swim"? Will we even have enough time to mobilize, or would it be a a Bolt Out Of the Blue attack? Would they even try if the new PRC leadership starts failing hard on the mainland? Or might that prompt them to try, but perhaps badly? Would we even try if Obama was still President?
As for "a reasonably peaceful solution", I don't see that even being a possibility with the new leadership's program of repression.