Taiwan and China: A geostrategic reassessment of U.S. policy

ABSTRACT

Located offshore of Asia and Mainland China, Taiwan possesses strategic significance because of its location between Japan and The Philippines. Current U.S. policy dates from conditions existent during the Cold War, when China was relatively isolated, economically underdeveloped, and still undergoing the Cultural Revolution, while Taiwan was under martial law and ruled by an authoritarian dictatorship. Taiwan has since evolved into a multiparty, representative democracy while China has transformed itself into a major power, but has retained the one-party authoritarian rule of the Chinese Communist Party. U.S. policy needs readjusting to align with contemporary realities and future trends, which includes finding a balance between its One China policy and allowing the people of Taiwan a significant say in their future. Current American policy fosters a future scenario of poor choices to be made in the context of a crisis instigated at a time of China's choosing.

Acknowledgement

The author wishes to thank the late Dr. Teng Wu for his editorial suggestions and inspiration.

Notes

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16. Ibid., 198

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25. White Paper 2001: Regarding Taiwan and Its Future (Washington, DC, 2001), 21.

26. US Code 22:48 sections 3301(b) 3302(c).

27. Martin Mitchell, “The South China Sea: A Geopolitical Analysis,” Journal of Geography and Geology, 8, no. 3 (2016): 14–24.

28. United States Code. Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, Title 22, chapter 48, section 3301 subsection b, and section 3302 subsection c.

29. Erickson and Goldstein, “Hoping for the Best,” 955–986.

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31. Ibid.

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Martin Mitchell

Martin Mitchell ([email protected]) holds a PhD in geography from the University of Illinois. He is currently a professor of geography and Distinguished University Scholar at Minnesota State University, Mankato. He has extensive field experience in Taiwan and has witnessed its evolution from martial law into a modern, multiparty democracy.