The political separation of the ROC and China is a pressing concern for China, which China has threatened to use military force to resolve. Taiwan — Refers to the island (formerly known as Formosa) currently controlled by the ROC government. I assume that the US maintained a relationship with the ROC from the 1950s through the 1980s to limit the power of communism to develop in the Pacific.
To understand this relationship, one must first understand the background between the United States, the ROC, and the PRC. Likewise, I introduce deterrence theory, which is how the United States interacted with the PRC to deter it from forcing reunification on the ROC. In the next chapter, I test my hypothesis that the United States used its relationship with the ROC to limit the growth of communism in this region during the Cold War.
Literature Review
Although the United States does not recognize the ROC as its own country, it provides military protection and sells arms to it. For example, according to Cohen, the United States considered the ROC to play a critical role in the fight against the spread of communism during the Cold War. Second, it argues that the US commitment to the ROC gives it credibility in the region.
Bernkopf discusses the potential threat the PRC could pose to the United States if it were to rejoin the ROC. Likewise, intelligence posts could be used against the PRC due to the proximity of the ROC to mainland China. I theorize that the United States maintained its relationship with the ROC in order to contain the rise of the PRC.
The PRC's aggression towards the ROC caused instability in the region; However, the United States deterred the PRC through its hegemonic presence, which it maintained because of its security relationship with the ROC. Likewise, it is the US military, not the ROC, that serves as a deterrent to the PRC.
Test: The US Containment of Communism
- Situation
- US Response
- Cornell and Increased Tensions
- The PLA Response
- The US Response
The Korean War eased the security relationship between the United States and the ROC and initiated the control of communist influence by the US in the Asia Pacific. Likewise, since the Korean War, the United States has acted to contain the influence of the PRC to prevent the spread of. Regarding the PRC, the United States used its relationship with the ROC to curb the influence of the CPC.
This message normalized relations between the US and the PRC in order to reduce international tensions. As a result, the US opened relations with the PRC to encourage a reduction in Sino-Soviet cooperation. By increasing the US presence in the Asia-Pacific region, the United States has achieved containment of the influence of the PRC.
By refusing to recognize the PRC government, the United States undermined PRC sovereignty in the region. Similarly, the United States also curbed the growth of communism through enhanced deterrence. As a result, the United States allied with the ROC in order to establish itself as a.
During the first Taiwan Strait crisis, the United States did not redeploy American fleets to the Taiwan Strait. The United States took advantage of the heightened tensions between the ROC and China to once again engage in extended deterrence of China and limit communist influence. Although the Soviet Union did not approve of American actions, the United States continued to defend the ROC.
The United States actively deterred the PRC from attacking the ROC, which contained PRC influence across the Taiwan Strait. The United States did not tolerate PRC aggression towards the ROC, and US Secretary of Defense William J. Although the Cold War with the Soviet Union had ended, the United States continued to act to limit the influence of the PRC.
Future Hypothesis: US and PRC Goals in the Asia Pacific
The ROC’s Democratic System and the PRC
The KMT supports the "One China" policy of 1992 and believes that China is one country with two political systems - the respective governments of China and the ROC. As a result, the KMT supports the maintenance of a relationship with China in order to uphold the idea that the ROC is an inalienable part of China. Contrary to this ideology, the DPP advocates ROC independence and wants it to become a state independent of China.
Bush's political analysis of the ROC's two-party system and its effect on ROC security examines the rivalry between the DPP and the KMT, and in particular the way in which PRC and ROC politics exacerbated tensions in the Taiwan Strait worsened. According to Bush, the PRC's main concern is that the ROC will turn away from unification and toward independence, while the ROC fears that the ROC will restrict it and force it to conform to the wishes of the People's Republic of China. The PRC began to build up its military capabilities to discourage ROC independence, and the ROC fought to expand its international space by joining international organizations.
Blanchard and Vranken address cross-strait tensions in terms of domestic political variables indicating that tensions rose from 2000 to 2008 while a pro-separatist DPP president was in office;102 but in 2008 the ROC population elected the former KMT president, Ma Ying -jiu,103 for president. 102Chen Shui-bian was DPP president from 2000 to 2008, and the second president elected under the democratic ROC system. Despite the increased political dialogue between the two regions, the PLA continues to develop and deploy assets opposed to the ROC to deter its independence.
Bush points out that while the People's Republic of China has not increased the number of short-range ballistic missiles, the PLA is still increasing the number of cruise missiles.
US Support: Deterrence through ROC Democratic Support
Emphasizing its desire to protect ROC democracy, the United States appears to have a growing interest and stake in the Asia-Pacific. In addition, another reason for maintaining the United States' relationship with the ROC is because of its symbolic value. By supporting the existence of the ROC, the United States demonstrates its continued ability to deter PRC actions.
The reason the US prioritized maintaining an alliance with the ROC is likely due to asymmetric efforts. I believe that the US emphasizes the importance of support for the ROC's democratic system as a justification for maintaining support for the ROC. Likewise, the US uses arms sales to maintain a military relationship with the ROC and continues to deter China from forcing the ROC into reunification.
The US maintains its relationship with the ROC despite the threat and growth of the PLA to maintain the status quo in the Pacific. The US continues arms sales to the ROC and has increased sales in recent years, a situation that may be a result of China's vigorous PLA development. Despite these warnings from China, the US once again refused to stop arms sales to the ROC.
The ROC is not the only territorial issue the United States uses to deter the PRC. The United States continues to participate in the enhanced deterrence of the PRC through arms sales to the ROC, which, in addition to supporting the ROC's democratic system, helps the United States maintain its influential presence in the region. By continuing arms sales to the ROC, the United States ensures that the PLA's capabilities cannot force the ROC to negotiate reunification.
As a result, the development of the PLA indicates that the PRC recognizes this threat, while at the same time encouraging the United States to maintain protection of the ROC.
Conclusion
To contain the threat of a PRC hegemony, the United States continues to deter the PRC through its security relationship with the ROC, which ensures that the United States remains an influential presence in the region. The United States uses the relationship with Taiwan to emphasize the value of the Cross-Strait situation. As a result, the United States claims its support for ROC democracy as justification for maintaining this relationship with Taiwan.
The US also continues to engage in extended deterrence through arms sales to the ROC. Despite threats from China and claims that arms sales between the US and the ROC are disrupting Sino-US relations, the US continues these sales, which reduce the threat from China to the ROC. Likewise, the US legitimizes its actions through its agreements with the ROC, such as the TRA and the "Six Assurances".
Would the United States fulfill the TRA promise of protection to the ROC if the PRC attacked before the ROC declared independence? If the ROC declared independence and the PRC retaliated, the United States would stand by and allow the expansion of the PRC's influence. I recommend that the United States continue its ambiguous policy on the situation by not directly supporting the independence of the ROC.
The United States benefits as much from the current status quo as from an independent ROC. As a result, the United States should not support an ROC declaration of formal independence, which would increase tensions and potentially damage Sino-American relations. This dissertation established that the United States values its relationship with the ROC and uses this relationship to contain the PRC.
The only question that remains to be answered is: To what extent will the United States maintain this relationship in the future.
Works Cited
Huth, Paul K., "Territory and Group Conflict in International Relations", The Journal of Conflict Resolution, Vol. Face Choice to Send Ships to Taiwan Strait; Military: Washington would like to see tensions ease.
