THE STRAITS IN CRISIS: AMERICA AND THE LONG-TERM DISPOSITION OF TAIWAN, 1950--1958

This paper attempts to resolve two questions. First, what was the importance of the Taiwan question in the history if the Cold War in Asia? Second, how should the crisis-management of the Eisenhower administration during the two Quemoy-Matsu crises be evaluated? This paper argues that Eisenhower's Taiwan policy was a reflection of the experience of the Korean War as well as a prophetic of the Vietnam policy of mid-sixties; it is thus implied that discussions of the Formosa question will help us understand the relations among major crises of the Cold War in Asia.; In contrast to other works on the Quemoy-Matsu crises, this paper contends that Eisenhower's crisis-management should be assessed in the longer historical perspective. The Eisenhower administration undeniably contributed to the prevention of war in the Taiwan Straits. But, were the crises inevitable from the beginning? Didn't America's Taiwan policy induce the crises? To answer these questions, it is necessary to trace back America's policy concerning the long-term status of Taiwan. After the outbreak of the Korean War, the United States began to think that Taiwan's future disposition would affect vital U.S. security positions in the West Pacific. The Eisenhower administration hoped that Taiwan would not become a source of future military conflict. It could not accept the surrender of Taiwan to the Communists either. Therefore, the United States decided to become the protector of Taiwan and incorporated it into the U.S.-sponsored Far Eastern security system. America's these decisions induced challenges from many quarters. The Chinese Nationalist government did not want to restrict its sovereignty on the Taiwan island. Beijing criticised U.S. intervention of the China's internal affairs. Britain and neutral nations were unhappy about the tension in the area. Although war was avoided, the response of the Eisenhower administration was based on an idea similar to that which later preoccupy the policy makers of the Johnson administration over the question of Vietnam.