George Post 7 - U.S. Policy Taiwan and Beijing

Foreign Policy - The People’s Republic of China and the Republic of China

We haven’t spoken of the Republic of China (ROC); also know as Taiwan, Formosa or Nationalist China. Although we are going to the People’s Republic of China (PRC), also known as Red China, Beijing and Mainland China, we need to understand the bigger picture of how the People Republic of China (PRC) U.S. Foreign policy related to the relationship between these entities.

In 1949, the Communists faction in China, led by Chairman Mao, revolted and took control of mainland China. Chiang Kai shek, the head of the disposed government, along with two million loyalists, retreated 1000 miles away from Beijing to a group of islands off the eastern coast of China. In 1950, the US provided military support to Taiwan due to the “threat” that Mao was going to take action. Although Chairman Mao spoke to the need for one China he didn’t take any action neither have the subsequent PRC leaders since Mao.

Apart from excitement in the 60’s caused by the arms race and Viet Nam not much changed in the three government relationship until 1971 when Ping Pong Diplomacy happened. In the first public sign of warming relations between Washington and PRC, China’s national Ping-Pong Team invited members of the U.S. team to China. The journalists accompanying the U.S. players are among the first Americans allowed to enter China since 1949.

In 1972, President Richard Nixon spent eight days in mainland China, where he met Chairman Mao and agrees to the Shanghai Communiqué. This set the stage for improved relations by allowing China and the United States to discuss Taiwan and ushered in the Two China Policy. This policy essentially recognized that the communist revolutionist government of mainland China wasn’t going to be replaced with the former government (ROC) and that it was counterproductive to continue to pretend that they weren’t the legitimate government of China. Also it allowed the U.S. to supporting PRC admission into the U.N. while still preserving Taiwan's membership in the General Assembly. However in 1979 our position changed. Seeking to improve relations with mainland China the U.S. denounced Taiwan as the official government and recognized the People’s Republic of China.

At near the same time, still concerned with the threat of Communism, Congress approved the Taiwan Relations Act, which describes attempts to determine the island’s future by anything other than “peaceful means” as a threat to security in the Western Pacific region. The act requires the U.S. to provide Taiwan with defensive arms but does not violate the One-China Policy.

So this is the point that our foreign policy gets real confusing and seems contradictory. The United States recognizes PRC as the one true government for the Chinese people, but the US policy hasn’t recognized the PRC's sovereignty over Taiwan. Neither has US policy recognized Taiwan as a sovereign country .

The Obama administration stands by this longstanding policy, at least for now. In an interview with Chinese students on November 16, 2009, President Obama reconfirmed that the United States supports the One China Policy.

In summary the U.S. agrees with the PRC that Taiwan is subject to China but we continue to back Taiwan as an "autonomous" entity which can govern itself. It is understood that if China moves on Taiwan, the United States will likely defend it, a situation nobody wants to be involved in. On the opposite side if Taiwan declares independence, China will likely invade Taiwan, and the United States could stay on the sidelines since a declaration of independence could be considered a provocative action by Taiwan.

The basic idea is that everybody's hands are tied, and we simply uphold the status quo as any other course of action would be disastrous.