Taiwan: Recent Developments and U.S. Policy Choices

Publication Date: August 2008

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Government

Type:

Coverage: Taiwan

Abstract:

Early in its tenure, the George W. Bush Administration seemed to abandon the long-standing U.S. policy of "strategic ambiguity" on Taiwan in favor of "strategic clarity" that placed more emphasis on Taiwan's interests and less on PRC concerns. Among other things, President Bush publicly stated in 2001 that the United States would do "whatever it takes" to help Taiwan's defense and approved, in April 2001, a substantial sale of U.S. weapons to Taiwan, including Kidd-class destroyers, antisubmarine P-3 "Orion" aircraft, and diesel submarines. The White House also was more accommodating to visits from Taiwan officials than previous U.S. Administrations, and permitted visits from Taiwan's president in 2001 and 2003, and from Taiwan's vice president and defense minister in 2002. This initially assertive posture was in keeping with growing congressional sentiment that greater U.S. support was needed for Taiwan's defense needs, particularly given the PRC's military build-up in southern China. Members undertook a number of bipartisan initiatives to focus more U.S. attention on Taiwan and raise its international stature, including establishing a House Congressional Taiwan Caucus in 2002 and Senate Taiwan Caucus in 2003.

Since then, U.S.-Taiwan relations have undergone important changes, sparked in part by the increasing complexity and unpredictability of Taiwan's democratic political environment. The once-ruling Nationalist Party (KMT) has been handed a series of stunning defeats, in a series of elections losing both the presidency and its legislative majority to the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Taiwan's President, Chen Shui-bian, has disavowed key concepts long embraced by his KMT opponents -- the "status quo" that there is only one China and Taiwan is part of it -- and instead has adopted the more provocative position that Taiwan already "is an independent, sovereign country," a "status quo" he promises to maintain. But many in the electorate have appeared wary of the more strident and confrontational aspects of President Chen's political positions. This, combined with a series of recent corruption scandals involving Chen administration officials and the president's family members, has led to record-low approval ratings for President Chen and a growing political outcry against him. These political trends have raised anxieties about the prospects for a future political and constitutional crisis in Taiwan that could further complicate U.S. policy.

In response to Taiwan's political developments, the Bush Administration appears to have dialed back its earlier public enthusiasm for supporting Taiwan initiatives. While still pursuing a closer U.S. relationship with Taiwan, U.S. officials now appear to be balancing criticisms of the PRC military buildup opposite Taiwan with periodic cautions and warnings to the effect that U.S. support for Taiwan is not unconditional, but has limits.

This report replaces CRS Issue Brief IB98034, Taiwan: Recent Developments and U.S. Policy Choices, by Kerry Dumbaugh. This report will be updated as events warrant.