When viewing the relationships between China, Taiwan, and the United States, the Taiwan straight becomes a charged argument. China’s argument is that Taiwan is a rebellious territory and argues the “one China” policy, stating that Taiwan will remain a part of the united China, threatening that military force will be used if necessary. Taiwan feels that they are prepared for sovereign rule, though they are oppressed by China’s overbearing politics and a lack of military alliances who would sell Taiwan arms. The United States used to be one of the many countries selling arms to Taiwan, but over time those countries submitted to Chinese pressures to cease their sales, leaving the United States in the middle of this situation.
Since 1995 the crisis between this these three countries have grown in considerable proportions. Mid 1995, President Lee Teng-hui of Taiwan (whose very election to power annoyed Chinese rulers who saw this as an act of rebellion and a Taiwanese step towards sovereignty) received a Visa to visit the United States. This and the rising arms sales between the United States and Taiwan, which contradicted the 1982 Joint Communiqué between the United States and China which stated that the United States would decrease their arms sales to Taiwan, though no date was set on when the arms sales would be required to cease. For a period of two years between 1995 and 1996 the Taiwan Straight Crisis emerged. And since that time China has continued to grow exponentially in military power, becoming a strong threat to Taiwan’s independence and a powerful force in Asian politic. While Taiwan is currently debating the need for independence publicly, they are developing a military force which, though it is currently lacking in premiere military equipment, has a large army (with respect to Taiwan’s population) and a democratically elected ruler. Since the 2000 and then 2004 re-election of Chen Shui-bian president, and in response to the election of a president who has backed independence, China has passed a law stating that they will ensure their control of Taiwan by any means necessary.
