Not quite the way it happened. The communists won the Chinese civil war in the 1940’s and set up the People’s Republic of China on the Asian mainland. The U.S.-backed anti-communist forces and people retreated to Taiwan and declared the Republic of China on the island of Formosa (Taiwan). America rejected the P.R.C. and recognized R.O.C. (Taiwan) after the former’s victory in the Chinese civil war and signed a defense treaty with it. For years, America tried to pretend the 750,000,000 strong mainland wasn’t real. The P.R.C. immediately began trying to conquer the far smaller R.O.C. by attacking it. During the First Taiwan Strait Crisis, Eisenhower’s administration threatened the P.R.C. with nuclear attack if it didn’t cease. The P.R.C. attacked R.O.C. again during the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis. Eisenhower sent the new Sidwinder missile to R.O.C. and the P.R.C.’s Soviet-made MiG’s were swept from the skies, allowing the R.O.C. to achieve air superiority, thus ensuring their survival. The P.R.C. again tried to threaten the R.O.C. in 1996 with a big show of force and mobilizing forces. Bill Clinton ordered the U.S. Navy to send an aircraft carrier battle group through the Taiwan Strait and one other to remain offshore Taiwan. The P.R.C. backed down again admitting it could not stop the U.S. from coming to Taiwan’s defense.
The U.S. has put itself at considerable risk by continuing to support Taiwan’s fragile democracy and selling it vast quantities of weaponry. We are essentially ensuring Taiwan’s survival. We’ve hardly thrown Taiwan under the bus.
Nixon recognized the P.R.C. because you cannot ignore a huge nation like that. They knew that vast China would not remain weak. After China tested a nuclear bomb, it became clear the U.S. position of pretending it did not exist became untenable.
Nixon recognized the P.R.C. because you cannot ignore a huge nation like that
While perhaps true, it overlooks the fact that part of 'recognizing' the PRC included, for all practical purposes, ignoring Taiwan in the bargain.
We have no embassy in Taiwan, and it's very name has been erased for all practical purposes.
It was, imho, a poor bargain and a slap in the face to the Taiwanese, future arms supplies or no.
Bill Clinton ordered the U.S. Navy to send an aircraft carrier battle group through the Taiwan Strait and one other to remain offshore Taiwan.
Perhaps some FReepers who might have been part of that exercise can weigh in with further insight, but until hearing authoritatively to the contrary, I'll never believe that that creature would have ever authorized a set of ROEs that meant a damn.
Jim, maybe you'd care to jump into this ?
In the meantime, there's some damned good college football on tonight that I'd rather not miss.
And if it turns out that I shot a little too quickly from the hip, it won't have been the first time.
Tho it matters not in the end, as there's no danger of Pres.Trump nominating me for a Pacific Theater policy post ;-)