FScott
05/24/06, 11:22 AM
China's central foreign policy goal is to prevent the independence of Taiwan, which China considers an integral part of its territory (as does the UN and in theory, the US). China has declared repeatedly that they will go to war if Taiwan declares its independence. In recent years the Chinese have been building up their military and expanding on their nuclear capabilities.
The 2006 report says that by late 2005, China had deployed some 710-790 mobile short-range ballistic missiles to garrisons opposite Taiwan, and deployment continues to expand at an average rate of about 100 missiles per year. China has deployed 400,000 ground-force personnel to the three military regions opposite Taiwan, an increase of 25,000 from last year. http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/05/23/pentagon.china/index.html
The Taiwan Relations Act requires the United States "to provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character", and "to maintain the capacity of the United States to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security, or the social or economic system, of the people on Taiwan." However, it does not necessarily require the United States to take any military action against the People's Republic of China.
Now here is where the situation could get messy.
US President George W. Bush has promised the US would stand by Taiwan in the event of an attack by China. When asked on Tuesday (May 23, 2006) if the US would use "the full force of the American military", to defend Taiwan, Bush said he would do "whatever it took to help Taiwan defend herself."
http://www.isn.ethz.ch/news/sw/details.cfm?ID=2274
Should the US feel obligated to militarily defend Taiwan if a conflict should arise with China?
What does this mean for future US and Chinese relations?
How could this effect the US economy if relations turn sour?
Thoughts?
The 2006 report says that by late 2005, China had deployed some 710-790 mobile short-range ballistic missiles to garrisons opposite Taiwan, and deployment continues to expand at an average rate of about 100 missiles per year. China has deployed 400,000 ground-force personnel to the three military regions opposite Taiwan, an increase of 25,000 from last year. http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/05/23/pentagon.china/index.html
The Taiwan Relations Act requires the United States "to provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character", and "to maintain the capacity of the United States to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security, or the social or economic system, of the people on Taiwan." However, it does not necessarily require the United States to take any military action against the People's Republic of China.
Now here is where the situation could get messy.
US President George W. Bush has promised the US would stand by Taiwan in the event of an attack by China. When asked on Tuesday (May 23, 2006) if the US would use "the full force of the American military", to defend Taiwan, Bush said he would do "whatever it took to help Taiwan defend herself."
http://www.isn.ethz.ch/news/sw/details.cfm?ID=2274
Should the US feel obligated to militarily defend Taiwan if a conflict should arise with China?
What does this mean for future US and Chinese relations?
How could this effect the US economy if relations turn sour?
Thoughts?