The Conclusion, Implementation And Termination Of The U.S.-Taiwan Mutual Defense Treaty

U.S.-Taiwan Mutual Defense Treaty is a product of the U.S. policy to implement the Cold War in Asia, which essentially serves the needs of the Cold War for the U. S. In the process of deliberation and formal negotiation of the treaty, after difficult negotiations, the United States government and Taiwan authority eventually reached compromises surrounding the nature and the scope of the treaty, military operations and many other key issues, making both sides military alliance through the treaty.Although the treaty relates to the cooperation of bilateral political, economic and social developments, the military aspect is more significant. The role of the treaty embodied in the US-Taiwan interactions during the three crisis in the Taiwan Strait, providing strong supports to the U.S. interfering in China's internal affairs, and maintaining its strategic interests in the Asia-Pacific region. However, in the process of the U.S. adjusting its policy to China, with pattern changes of the global Cold War, the US-Taiwan Mutual Defense Treaty had become an obstacle to the normalization of Sino-US relations. Through tireless efforts, finally the Chinese and U.S. governments successfully resolved this problem. It was the conclusion and termination of U.S.-Taiwan Mutual Defense Treaty that was a microcosm of the Cold War in Asian post-war history.Succeeding previous academic studies, on the basis of United States Foreign Documents and resources from Taiwan, with historical materialisms and international relationship theory, this thesis analyses the whole process of U.S.-Taiwan Mutual Defense Treaty from its conclusion to termination, clarifies the circumstances surrounding the treaty, and reveals the characteristic of complexity and diversity in American political decision-making, finally probes into the historical role and the nature of the treaty.This dissertation consists of three parts, the introduction, body and conclusion. The introduction summarizes the previous studies and academic achievements on the U.S.-Taiwan Mutual Defense Treaty, points out their merits and deficiencies, and then raises the value of this research and writing ideas of this thesis. The body part extends from Chapter One to Chapter Three. The conclusion partly responds to proposed objectives of the introduction, summaries the whole thesis, and claries the significance of this study.Chapter One discusses the conclusion of U.S.-Taiwan Mutual Defense Treaty. In 1949, the CNP retreated to Taiwan. Since then, seeking to protect itself and the achievement of anti-PRC and recovery its control of the mainland, the CNP tried to conclude a bilateral treaty with the U.S. government. However, the U. S. government was concerned that the conclusion of the bilateral treaty with Taiwan authority would be dragged into China's civil war, and was reluctant to negotiate with Taiwan authority. On the compromise of Taiwan authorities to dispel concerns of the U.S., and in the context of the first crisis in the Taiwan Strait, United States and Taiwan finally completed negotiations of the contract in 1955. US-Taiwan Mutual Defense Treaty came into effect.On the background of Three Taiwan Strait Crisis, Chapter Two focuses on examining the affect of the US-Taiwan Mutual Defense Treaty on the security situation in the Taiwan Strait. The conclusion of the treaty is focused on China, the interaction of United States and Taiwan under the treaty appeared in the war crisis across the Taiwan Strait. Therefore, this chapter emphasis on the impact of the implementation and effects of the treaty in the Three Taiwan Strait crisis in 1955, 1958 and 1962, not discussing other aspects. In the Taiwan Strait crisis, using this treaty, the United States on the one hand helped Taiwan authorities resist the so-called Chinese mainland's armed attack; on the other hand, it also effectively restricted the Taiwan authority's retaking the mainland, and achieved a confrontation across the Taiwan Strait under the peaceful confrontation. This treaty became a powerful tool for the United States to pursue its Taiwan Straits'policy and safeguard its national interests.Chapter Three discusses the process of resolving U.S.-Taiwan Mutual Defense Treaty between U.S. and PRC in the path of normalization of Sino-US relations during the 1970s. In this process, the Nixon administration and Chinese leaders issued the initial negotiations around the way of ending treaty and the security of Taiwan in the post-treaty era. It was on this basis that the Carter administration finally found the appropriate solution and paved the way for the the normalization of Sino-US relations. However, the termination of the treaty caused a huge shock in the U.S. Congress and Taiwan islands. Goldwater v. Carter, Taiwan Relations Act and the Taiwan authority's efforts to increase the development of nuclear weapons, these all had a profound impact in the future development of Sino-US relations.