U.S. Policy Concerning Taiwan: Do We Have It Right

Abstract

The democratic government of Taiwan and the majority of its 23 million people seek recognition by the United Nations and resist forced reunification with the People's Republic of China (PRC). Current United States policy concerning Taiwan is ambiguous and could fail to ensure the attainment of our national interests in East Asia and the Pacific. This ambiguous policy may have been partially responsible for a confrontation between U.S. and the PRC in the Taiwan Strait in 1996. This paper provides brief historical background information on Taiwan and its relationship with the PRC and describes current U.S. policy. The inherent policy flaws may precipitate a confrontation between the PRC and the United States in the Taiwan Strait in the future. This paper outlines alternative policies, and recommends modifications to existing U.S. policy.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 10, 2001
Accession Number
ADA390561

Entities

People

  • Christopher J. Parker

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Ballistic Missiles
  • Civil War
  • Congress
  • Economic Systems
  • Governments
  • International Organizations
  • National Security
  • Negotiations
  • New York
  • Political Systems
  • President (United States)
  • Security
  • United Nations
  • United States
  • United States Government
  • War
  • War Colleges

Fields of Study

  • Political science

Readers

  • Asian Economic Studies
  • Systems Analysis and Design