An Initial Probe into the Taiwan-PRC Policies of George Bush Jr. Administration

• Main Authors: Huang , Song-Chyi, 黃松棋
• Other Authors: Pan , Shi-Tang
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2003
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/82932236595363354693

碩士 === 淡江大學 === 大陸研究所碩士在職專班 === 91 === ABSTRACT In a communiqué dated December 15, 1978, the United States announced full diplomatic ties with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) beginning January 1, 1979, acknowledging the PRC the only legitimate government of China and Taiwan is part of China. As a substantial results, numerous other nations still in diplomatic ties with the Republic of China on Taiwan followed suit, renouncing Taiwan and switching to the PRC. Since then, Taiwan has been virtually an orphan of the world community and must resort extraordinary economic growth and trading performance to maintain certain ties in the international community. These facts suggest how influential the United States’ policies toward Taiwan and China have been upon the peace and development between Taiwan and China. Since 1949, the United States has made a good number of“U”turns towards the Taiwan Strait issue. Once it played the card to associate with China against the Soviet, leaving Taiwan as the top victim. In some other times, it tried to team up with Taiwan against China. Amidst the capricious American sentiments toward Taiwan, it is necessary to take an overall study toward the United States’ policy toward Taiwan and China so as to map out countermeasures before too late. The present study begins with a retrospective look at the American policies toward Taiwan and China advocated by American presidents for a comparison with that held by Bush Jr. The study findings indicate that the American administrations, both Republican and Democratic, have taken the “Shanghai Communiqué”, “Diplomatic Communiqué”, “August 17 Communiqué” and “Taiwan Relations Act” as the grounds, coupled with Ronald Reagan’s “Six Guarantees toward Taiwan” and Bill Clinton’s “Three Nos” as the major grounds. George Bush Jr. still upholds one-China policy which is, nevertheless, significantly different from previous one. Previously their one-China policy took the three Communiqués into a “one-China policy” and took the policy toward Taiwan as the secondary one, focusing on Taiwan Relations Act. In current policy, Bush Jr. consolidates Taiwan Relations Act into the three previous Communiqués to form a new one-China policy, virtually devastating the consistent ambiguity. On February 22, 2002, for instance, Bush Jr. reasserted the “one China policy” as he, nevertheless, emphatically pointed out the United States’ firm advocate towards the Taiwan Relations Act while he was speaking in Qinghua University, Beijing. He no longer mentioned Clinton’s “Thee Nos”. On April 24, 2002, he stressed to “defend Taiwan by all means”, even including the use of armed forces. Overall, Bush Jr. holds a pragmatic policy toward Taiwan and China but inclined and friendly toward Taiwan. Imaginably, in the more than one year of his remaining tenure, the United States is not supposed to take any policy against Taiwan in favor of China. China, on the other hand, is believed never to overlook mentioning “Taiwan issue” when boosting “high-level dialogues” and “constructive teamwork” with the United States. The United States, when in dialogues with China about proliferation of destructive weapons, missile defense systems, human rights and North Korean’s nuclear issue, is not assured not to attain realistic interests at the price of Taiwan. In conclusion, Taiwan must not feel too easy because of the more friendly attitude Bush Jr. holds towards Taiwan.