Taiwan: Recent Developments and U.S. Policy Choices
Abstract
Early in its tenure, the George W. Bush Administration seemed to abandon the long-standing U.S. policy of strategic ambiguity on Taiwan in favor of strategic clarity that placed more emphasis on Taiwan's interests and less on PRC concerns. Among other things, President Bush publicly stated in 2001 that the United States would do whatever it takes to help Taiwan's defense and approved, in April 2001, a substantial sale of U.S. weapons to Taiwan, including Kidd-class destroyers, antisubmarine P-3 Orion aircraft, and diesel submarines. The White House also was more accommodating to visits from Taiwan officials than previous U.S. Administrations, and permitted visits from Taiwan's president in 2001 and 2003, and from Taiwan's vice president and defense minister in 2002. This initially assertive posture was in keeping with growing congressional sentiment that greater U.S. support was needed for Taiwan's defense needs, particularly given the PRC's military build-up in southern China. Members undertook a number of bipartisan initiatives to focus more U.S. attention on Taiwan and raise its international stature, including establishing a House Congressional Taiwan Caucus in 2002 and Senate Taiwan Caucus in 2003. Since then, U.S.-Taiwan relations have undergone important changes, sparked in part by the increasing complexity and unpredictability of Taiwan's democratic political environment. The once-ruling Nationalist Party (KMT) has been handed a series of stunning defeats, in a series of elections losing both the presidency and its legislative majority to the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Taiwan's President, Chen Shui-bian, has disavowed key concepts long embraced by his KMT opponents the status quo that there is only one China and Taiwan is part of it and instead has adopted the more provocative position that Taiwan already is an independent, sovereign country, a status quo he promises to maintain.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 09, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA462463
Entities
People
- Kerry Dumbaugh
Organizations
- Library of Congress