The U.S. Factor in the 1958 and 1996 Taiwan Strait Crises

Abstract

In 1958, the United States was directly involved in breaking a Chinese blockade of the Kinmen (Quemoy) islands. Taiwan cannot expect a similar response in the future because the status of the offshore islands is now a matter of great dispute. On the other hand, the Clinton administration’s robust actions during the March 1996 cross-Strait missile crisis have proved that deeds rather than words are more effective in wielding preventive diplomacy. However, it is still too early to tell whether the recent dispatch of U.S. aircraft carriers will become the pattern for handling future Taiwan Strait crises. Nevertheless, one of the key lessons for the United States from the 1958 and 1996 Taiwan Strait crises has been that crisis prevention costs less and works more effectively than crisis management.