Order Code IB98034
CRS Issue Brief for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
Taiwan: Recent Developments
and U.S. Policy Choices
Updated January 10, 2005
Kerry B. Dumbaugh
Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress

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CONTENTS
SUMMARY
MOST RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
U.S. Interests in Taiwan
Basis for U.S. Defense Commitments to Taiwan
Key Current Issues in Taiwan
Political Liberalization
End of KMT Dominance — 2000-2001
2004 Election Cycles
March 20th Presidential Election and Referendum
Vote Recount and Other Challenges
December 11th Legislative Elections
New Political Trends
Growing Political Polarization
Reassessing “One China”
Taiwan-Mainland Relations
Cross-Strait Developments in the Chen Administration
Private-Sector Exchanges
Economic and Trade Issues
Taiwan’s World Trade Organization (WTO) Accession
SARS, Avian Flu, and WHO Observer Status
Policy Trends in the George W. Bush Administration
Initial Tilt Toward Taiwan
Toward a Taiwan/PRC Balance
Problems Over Arms Purchases
Implications for U.S. Policy
LEGISLATION
CHRONOLOGY
FOR ADDITIONAL READING
CRS Reports

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Taiwan: Recent Developments and U.S. Policy Choices
SUMMARY
Under the current Bush Administration,
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate
U.S.-China-Taiwan relations have undergone
Chen Shui-bian by a razor-thin margin. Chen
a number of changes. Initially, the new Ad-
has been able to seize the political initiative by
ministration seemed to abandon the long-
disavowing the concepts long embraced by his
standing U.S. policy of “strategic ambiguity”
KMT opponents: that there is “one China,”
on Taiwan in favor of “strategic clarity” that
that Taiwan is a part of it, and that Chinese
placed more emphasis on Taiwan’s interests
history and culture are Taiwan’s heritage.
and less on PRC concerns. Among other
Instead, Chen has emphasized a “new Taiwan
things, President Bush publicly stated that the
identity” and has said publicly that Taiwan
United States would do “whatever it takes” to
already “is an independent, sovereign country”
help Taiwan’s defense — an unprecedented
— a “status quo” that he promises to main-
statement which no prior U.S. President has
tain. Based on legislative elections held on
made. In April 2001, the President also ap-
December 11, 2004, however, Taiwan’s elec-
proved a substantial sale of U.S. weapons to
torate appeared to reject the more strident
Taiwan, including Kidd-class destroyers, anti-
aspects of the DPP’s election strategy, instead
submarine P-3 “Orion” aircraft, and diesel
returning a slim KMT majority to the legisla-
submarines. The White House also was more
ture. As in Chen’s first term, it appears that
accommodating to visits from Taiwan offi-
continued opposition control of the legislature
cials than previous U.S. Administrations, and
could lead to policy gridlock, with the
permitted visits from Taiwan’s president in
legislature amending or blocking DPP policy
2001 and 2003, and from Taiwan’s Vice-
initiatives.
President and Defense Minister in 2002.
Political trends in Taiwan have raised
The Administration’s initially assertive
anxieties about its future and the implications
posture was in keeping with growing congres-
for U.S. policy. Some are concerned that a
sional sentiment that greater U.S. support was
continued emphasis on “Taiwan identity” may
needed for Taiwan’s defense needs, particu-
lead to ethnic polarization and conflict.
larly given the PRC’s military build-up in
Others are concerned about the implications
southern China. Members undertook a num-
that these trends have for a possible
ber of bipartisan initiatives to focus more U.S.
declaration of Taiwan independence, which
attention on Taiwan and raise its international
Beijing has vowed to “pay any price” to
stature. These included House establishment
prevent, and which may result in the use of
of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus in 2002,
U.S. military forces. In recent months, politi-
and Senate establishment of the Senate Tai-
cal developments in Taiwan appear to be
wan Caucus in 2003.
causing the Bush Administration to dial back
its earlier enthusiasm for supporting Taiwan.
But President Bush’s first term has been
U.S. officials now appear to be balancing
a time of increasing complexity and unpredict-
criticisms of the PRC military buildup
ability in Taiwan’s political environment.
opposite Taiwan with periodic cautions and
Since 2000, the long-ruling Nationalist Party
warnings to the effect that U.S. support for
(KMT) has been handed a series of stunning
Taiwan is not unconditional, but has limits.
defeats, most recently losing the presidential
This issue brief tracking the situation in Tai-
election of March 20, 2004, to incumbent
wan will be updated as events warrant.
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress

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MOST RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
January 2, 2005 — Taiwan’s chief negotiator with the PRC, Koo Chen-fu, died at age
87. The last official cross-strait talks in which Koo participated were in 1993.
December 27, 2004 — The PRC published a white paper, “China’s National Defense
in 2004,” calling Taiwan’s independence advocates the “biggest immediate threat to China’s
sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
December 17, 2004 — PRC officials announced they would include an “anti-secession”
law, aimed at Taiwan, in the March 2005 agenda of the National People’s Congress.
December 15, 2004 — Under pressure from fellow party members after the DPP’s
legislative election loss, President Chen Shui-bian resigned as chair of the DPP.
December 11, 2004 — The opposition KMT party made gains in Taiwan’s legislative
elections, slightly increasing its majority over the DPP. The KMT coalition will now hold
at least 114 seats in the new 225-member legislature, with the DPP holding 101. The KMT
victory was considered a sharp voter rebuke to DPP President Chen Shui-bian’s less
moderate policies.
October 25, 2004 — In Beijing, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said Taiwan was
not a sovereign state and the United States supported Taiwan’s peaceful reunification with
China. Critics charged the Secretary’s statement violated long-standing U.S. policy, which
has avoided taking a U.S. position on the desirability of reunification.
May 20, 2004 — Congress passed legislation requiring the United States annually to
seek Taiwan’s observer status in the World Health Organization (H.R. 4019/S. 2092).
March 20, 2004 — Chen Shui-bian was re-elected as Taiwan’s president by an
extremely slender margin of 29,518 votes out of 13.25 million cast. The KMT opposition
immediately challenged the results as suspicious because of a number of irregularities.
BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
U.S. Interests in Taiwan
U.S. involvement with the government of Taiwan (known as the Republic of China or
ROC) has its roots in the World War II U.S. alliance with the Nationalist Chinese
government of Chiang Kai-shek on mainland China. But while the allied victory over Japan
and Germany meant the end of conflict for much of the world, it did not mean the end of
conflict for China. For the Chinese government, it meant the resumption of a previously
begun civil war against rebelling Chinese communist forces led by Mao Zedong. By October
1949, Mao’s forces had pushed the Nationalist Army off the mainland, and the remnants of
Chiang’s government fled to Taiwan, an island off the south China coast. While on the
mainland, the Chinese Communist Party declared victory and established the People’s
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Republic of China (PRC); Chiang’s ROC government on Taiwan insisted that the communist
government in Beijing was not credible, that his own government was the only legitimate
government of all China, and that his forces would regroup on Taiwan and one day retake
the mainland. For the next 30 years, the United States supported this claim with U.S.
military protection and over $5 billion in military and economic aid, allowing Chiang’s
one-party government (the Nationalist Party, or KMT) to consolidate its position on Taiwan.
In the 1950s and 1960s, U.S. forces used Taiwan as a forward base against Sino-Soviet
communism in Asia. But after President Nixon’s opening to Beijing in 1971-72, and the
major pullback of U.S. forces in Asia under the guidelines of the “Nixon doctrine,” U.S.
officials came to view Beijing more as a strategic asset against the Soviet Union than an
adversary to be confronted in the Taiwan Strait. On January 1, 1979, the United States
switched its diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing. In the U.S.-PRC joint
communiqué announcing the change, the United States recognized the government of the
PRC as the sole legal government of China and acknowledged the Chinese position that there
is but one China, and Taiwan is part of China. (See CRS Report 96-246, Taiwan: Texts of
the Taiwan Relations Act, the U.S. - China Communiques, and the ‘Six Assurances.’) As part
of de-recognition, the United States also notified Taiwan authorities that effective January
1, 1980, it would terminate the 1954 U.S.-ROC Mutual Defense Treaty. This move
prompted extensive congressional debate at the time over the President’s authority to
unilaterally dissolve a defense treaty without prior consultation with Congress.
In a statement released December 16, 1978, the United States declared that it “continues
to have an interest in the peaceful resolution of the Taiwan issue and expects that the Taiwan
issue will be settled peacefully by the Chinese themselves.” Subsequently, the United States
affirmed its security and other interests in Taiwan through the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA)
and the continued supply of U.S. arms to Taiwan. The TRA (enacted as P.L. 96-8 in April
1979) which still governs U.S. relations with Taiwan, was essentially a congressional
construct, enacted by a Congress unhappy with the Carter Administration’s failure to develop
more detailed plans for how U.S. relations were to be conducted with Taiwan after official
relations were severed.
With the thaw in the Cold War in the late 1980s and subsequent collapse of the Soviet
Union, U.S. interest in the PRC as a “strategic asset” in global politics declined. The PRC’s
burgeoning economy and sometimes assertive foreign policy in the 1990s revived U.S.
interest in finding pragmatic and effective ways to deal with rising Chinese power. At the
same time, Taiwan’s political system had undergone dramatic changes, including a transition
to democratic political pluralism. The combination of these developments led to subtle
changes in U.S.-Taiwan ties, including deepening economic, military, social, and other
contacts. Today, the United States is an important investor and trading partner for Taiwan,
with U.S. markets receiving about 25% of Taiwan’s exports. Taiwan continues to enjoy
Export-Import Bank financing, Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) guarantees,
most-favored-nation status, and ready access to U.S. markets. Meanwhile, many U.S. leaders
want to encourage Taiwanese enterprises to invest in the United States.
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Basis for U.S. Defense Commitments to Taiwan
U.S. arms sales to Taiwan began as part of a U.S. policy approach, known as “strategic
ambiguity,” which tried continually to balance two competing policy objectives. On the one
hand, U.S. policymakers recognized Beijing as the legitimate government of all China and
promised PRC leaders that Washington would not recognize Taiwan as an independent state.
On the other hand, the United States had extensive contacts with Taiwan under the auspices
of the TRA, an act that also mandated the continued U.S. sale of defense weapons and
equipment to Taiwan. The nature of U.S. defense commitments and arms sales to Taiwan
is defined in Section 3 of the TRA, and it is notably nonspecific about U.S. defense
commitments and about the defense articles and services the United States may provide
Taiwan. Section 3 merely calls for “such defense articles and services...as may be necessary”
and gives Congress a role in determining what needs Taiwan may have. Although satisfied
with the U.S. position on Taiwan independence after normalization, the PRC objected
strenuously to continued U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. On August 17, 1982, a U.S.-PRC joint
communique addressed this point. In that communique, the PRC cited it had a “fundamental
policy” of striving for a peaceful solution to the Taiwan question, while Washington stated
that the U.S. did not
seek to carry out a long-term policy of arms sales to Taiwan, that its arms sales to Taiwan
will not exceed, either in qualitative or quantitative terms, the level of those supplied in
recent years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and
China, and that it intends to reduce gradually its sales of arms to Taiwan.
Although “strategic ambiguity” toward Taiwan remained the basis of U.S. policy
throughout the rest of the 20th century, several controversies late in the century raised
questions about the nature of U.S. commitments. The Administration of President George
H.W. Bush in 1992 approved the sale of 150 F-16 aircraft to Taiwan, a decision that PRC
officials charged was clearly beyond the limits suggested by the arms sale communiqué of
1982. During the PRC’s aggressive live-fire missile exercises off the Taiwan coast in 1995-
1996, the Administration of William Clinton responded by sending two U.S. carrier battle
groups to the area. And in April 2001, the current Administration of George W. Bush
approved the second-largest U.S. weapons sale package to Taiwan, including four Kidd-class
destroyers, 12 anti-submarine P-3 “Orion” aircraft, and eight diesel submarines.
Key Current Issues in Taiwan
Political Liberalization
Under the strongly authoritarian rule of the KMT, Taiwan’s political decisions from
1949 to 1979 were predictable, closely aligned with U.S. interests, and dependent largely on
U.S. support. But several decades of political reforms have made Taiwan politics today both
more democratic and more nationalistic — and hence have complicated matters for U.S.
policymakers. The KMT first permitted opposition parties in 1986, allowing the birth of the
current ruling party, the Democratic Progressive Party, or DPP. The government also ended
martial law (in 1987), and opened government positions to native “Taiwanese” — the 85%
of the island’s population who pre-dated the influx of the two million “mainlanders” fleeing
communist forces. Members of Taiwan’s legislature, elected on mainland China over 40
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years earlier, were asked to retire and were replaced by a new elected legislature in 1992.
In 1996, Taiwan held its first direct election for president, which was won by KMT leader
Lee Teng-hui, himself a native Taiwanese. During his presidency, Lee increasingly
distanced himself from his party’s traditional position — a position on which U.S. policy was
based — holding that there was only “one China” and that Taiwan was part of it. Ultimately,
entrenched corruption within the KMT and ideological differences over the direction
President Lee was taking caused a deep political fracture within the party which abruptly
ended its political dominance. The primary beneficiary of this KMT fracture was the DPP,
a party strongly associated with support for Taiwan independence.
End of KMT Dominance — 2000-2001. The uninterrupted KMT dynasty on
Taiwan finally was broken on March 18, 2000, when DPP candidate Chen Shui-bian won
the presidency with only 39% of the popular vote. The victory, a stunning defeat for the
KMT and its unbroken 50-year tenure in power, was facilitated by the fracture that split
Chen’s opposition vote between two “KMT” candidates: KMT sitting vice-president Lien
Chan (who came in a distant third), and former senior KMT official James Soong, who ran
as an independent. Eighteen months later, in December 2001, legislative elections dealt the
struggling KMT a second unprecedented blow, cutting its 115 seats in the 225-member body
to only 68, while increasing President Chen’s DPP party seats from 66 to 87. Still, the
former ruling KMT managed to remain part of an effective though slender legislative
majority by cobbling together a working coalition from its own remnants: the remaining 68
KMT members and the 46 elected members of the newly formed People First Party (PFP),
headed by James Soong. Since early 2002, the KMT/PFP legislative coalition has been able
to block or modify most of President Chen’s and the DPP’s legislative initiatives, leading to
significant political gridlock. With this legislative-executive split in government, political
stalemate and infighting has continued to characterize Taiwan’s political scene.
2004 Election Cycles
March 20th Presidential Election and Referendum. In a real sense, Taiwan’s
2000 presidential election was replayed in the March 20, 2004 presidential election. DPP
candidate and incumbent Chen Shui-bian ran for a second term, while his two opponents in
the 2000 election — KMT head Lien Chan and PFP head James Soong — joined forces this
time on a single ticket to oppose him. After a highly contentious campaign in a race judged
too close to call by its end, the incumbent was certified the winner by an extremely slender
margin and under three unusual last-minute circumstances. The day before the elections,
while campaigning in an open-roofed car in his hometown of Tainan, President Chen and his
running mate, Annette Lu, were shot and slightly wounded by one or more unknown
assailants. As a result of the shooting, President Chen invoked a national security protocol,
placing 200,000 military and police personnel on emergency duty status. Finally, after the
polls closed, Taiwan’s Central Election Commission declared that 337,297 of the votes cast
on March 20 were invalid, reportedly due to uncertainties about whether polling places had
followed consistent standards in vote-counting. Out of a reported total of 13.25 million votes
cast, the DPP ticket won by only 29,518 votes.
Along with the presidential elections, Taiwan also held a controversial and precedent-
setting referendum on March 20, 2004, posing two questions to the electorate: whether
Taiwan should acquire more advanced anti-missile weapons if the PRC refused to withdraw
the missiles it has deployed opposite Taiwan; and whether the Taiwan government should
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engage in negotiations with the PRC concerning a “peace and stability” framework for cross-
strait interactions. The PRC has adamantly opposed the idea of a Taiwan referendum,
believing it could set a precedent for holding an islandwide vote on Taiwan independence.
Some observers, then, were concerned that passage of the March 20 measures would trigger
PRC retaliation. But the referendum failed when only about 40% of the Taiwan electorate
participated in the vote, a rate insufficient to meet the 50% requirement for passage under
Taiwan law. As the referendum had been a Chen Shui-bian initiative, its failure to pass was
regarded as a defeat for the DPP government and a public rejection of government actions
that could threaten the political status quo across the Taiwan Strait.
Vote Recount and Other Challenges. The KMT immediately challenged the
March 20, 2004 election results as suspicious and unfair and called for a recount, saying that
the DPP victory had been “achieved under layer upon layer of suspicion.”1 The KMT
objected strongly to the high number of ballots judged invalid and also voiced suspicion
about whether the shooting attempt on Chen was real or staged. Finally, the KMT raised
questions about President Chen’s state of emergency declaration, which it claimed prevented
the 200,000 mobilized military and police officers — presumed KMT supporters — from
getting to the polls to vote. Tensions grew for several weeks in the aftermath of the
elections, with opponents of outcome holding several large protests and rallies, some of
which were marred by violence.
On April 12, 2004, both parties finally agreed to details surrounding an island-wide
recount, which began on May 10 and ended on May 18, 2004, having uncovered 40,000
disputed ballots. Some news accounts reported that 23,000 of the disputed ballots were votes
for Mr. Chen and 16,000 were votes for the opposition, which if true would make it very
unlikely that Chen’s victory will be overturned.2 But in a press conference in Taipei, a KMT
spokesman said that the recount had “all but erased” Chen’s slender margin, and that the
party was hopeful that it would upset the incumbent.3 On November 4, 2004, the High Court
ruled against the KMT petition to nullify the election result and rejected the KMT claim that
the assassination attempt had distorted the election result. On December 30, 2004, the High
Court rejected a second KMT lawsuit to nullify the election; KMT operatives have said they
will appeal. (For further details about the election and its aftermath, see CRS Report
RS21770, Taiwan in 2004: Elections, Referenda, and Other Democratic Challenges.)
December 11th Legislative Elections. Coming off their recent presidential and
local election victories, DPP and TSU leaders projected that in legislative elections on
December 11, 2004, their parties would make substantial gains that would give them
unprecedented legislative control and allow them to pursue policies anathema to Beijing.
Gaining legislative control, said Chen at a campaign rally, would allow him to “build Taiwan
1 Quote attributed to KMT candidate Lien Chan, in Keith Bradsher and Joseph Kahn, “Taiwan
Leader Wins re-election; Tally Is Disputed,” New York Times, Mar. 21, 2004.
2 “Taiwan Vote Recount Ends,” BBC News, World Edition, May 18, 2004.
3 Statement of KMT secretary-general Lin Feng-cheng, “KMT Hopeful for Upsetting President
Chen’s Reelection,” KMT-International Center, May 18, 2004.
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into a normal, complete, progressive, beautiful and great country.”4 But in what was clearly
a shock to DPP/TSU party leaders, the opposition KMT not only retained legislative control,
but increased its margin slightly over the DPP. When Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan is seated
in February 2005, then, the opposition KMT coalition will have 114 members and the DPP
coalition 101 members, with the remaining 10 seats in the 225-member body held by
independents. DPP moderates blamed the loss on President Chen’s “radically pro-
independent” campaign rhetoric, and in a bow to this criticism, Chen resigned as DPP party
chairman on December 15, 2004.5 Observers of Taiwan’s political scene suggest that the
electoral rebuke by voters will force Chen to move to a more centrist position for his second
and final presidential term. Some have also suggested that the continuation of divided
government in Taiwan will mean continued policy gridlock and political infighting.
New Political Trends
The constraints that may now be on the DPP as a result of its December 11, 2004
legislative defeat may affect several recent political trends in Taiwan that many observers
have found growing cause for concern. These trends, should they continue, could further
complicate an already difficult U.S. policy problem and could increase the danger of conflict
in the Taiwan Strait in the next few years.
Growing Political Polarization. Many observers of Taiwan’s political scene have
been particularly concerned about what they see as the growing polarization of the Taiwan
polity between “mainlanders” — those PRC natives who came to Taiwan fleeing Mao’s
communist forces in 1949 — and the “native Taiwanese” whose habitation of the island pre-
dates the mainlander arrival. In recent years, the ruling DPP/TSU coalition often has been
able to seize the political initiative by emphasizing that Taiwan is in the process of achieving
a “new Taiwan identity” with “new core values” that are very different from those of the
past. The DPP further accelerated this trend during the 2004 presidential election campaign,
when “Love Taiwan” became one of the party’s principle campaign slogans. The inference
many took away with them from this slogan was that if you embraced the “Republic of
China” (Taiwan’s formal name), espoused a “one-China policy,” or favored “engagement”
with the PRC — all traditional KMT platforms — then you did not love Taiwan. Some
mainlanders and KMT members saw the slogan as an attempt to raise questions about their
political legitimacy, and many saw it as a potentially dangerous provocation to China that
could end in military conflict. International observers, and at least one member of the DPP
itself, counseled DPP officials to drop the “Love Taiwan” campaign to avoid creating
divisiveness or further inflaming islander-mainlander tensions.6 Some have interpreted the
DPP defeat in legislative elections as a firm rejection of these tactics. They believe that the
DPP will need to pursue a less inflammatory approach if it is to regain public support.
4 Jason Dean,”Taiwan Vote Is All About China — Results May Bolster Chen’s Push for Island’s
Separate Identity,” Asian Wall St. Journal, Dec. 7, 2004.
5 Katherine Hille, “Taiwan’s President Promises to End Political Infighting,” Financial Times, Dec.
15, 2004.
6 One DPP lawmaker, Shen Fu-hsiung, suggested to the party’s central decision-making body that
it drop the “Love Taiwan” campaign. “Shen Draws Heat from DPP over ‘Love Taiwan’ Criticism,”
China Post, Apr. 19, 2004.
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Reassessing “One China”. Observers are also concerned about what appears to
be the rapid fading away of the “one-China” policy in Taiwan — the premise that there is
only one China and that both mainland China and Taiwan are part of it.7 For 50 years, the
governments of Taiwan and the PRC have embraced this symbolic political framework, and
U.S. policymakers for decades have made reference to it in documents and statements. In
1999, president Lee Teng-hui, then head of a united KMT party, proposed a “two-state”
framework for holding cross-strait negotiations. This proposal helped fracture the KMT
party, raised Beijing’s ire, and ended cross-strait dialogue. But the “one China” formulation
really appeared to unravel during the 2004 presidential and legislative campaigns. President
Chen Shui-bian began to depart significantly from precedent late in 2003 by referring openly
and frequently to a sovereign Taiwan. In a February 2004 interview with Time magazine,
Chen said “Taiwan is an independent, sovereign country” that “must reject the ‘one-China’
claim.” Days before the December 2004 legislative elections, Chen continued with this
theme by pledging to re-move “China” and substitute “Taiwan” in the official names of
Taiwan’s state-owned enterprises, embassies, and representative offices overseas. But while
this tack appeared to give the DPP political momentum in the March presidential election
— to the extent that the KMT felt compelled to back away somewhat from its own embrace
of “one China” — it did not have the same effect in the December legislative election. Some
believe that the DPP’s December 2004 legislative defeat suggests that Chen miscalculated
the extent of public willingness to reject the one-China formula and risk confrontation with
Beijing.
Taiwan-Mainland Relations
Since Taiwan relaxed restrictions on travel to the mainland in 1987, succeeding
governments incrementally have eased long-standing restrictions on contacts with the PRC.
In Taiwan, cross-strait policies are under the purview of the Mainland Affairs Council
(MAC), a government body, while cross-strait talks are handled by the Straits Exchange
Foundation (SEF), a private organization authorized by the government to handle these
exchanges. Corresponding bodies in the PRC are the government’s Taiwan Affairs Office,
while cross-strait talks are handled by the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait
(ARATS). Despite substantial and growing economic ties, the two sides have not held
official talks since October 14-19, 1998, in Shanghai and Beijing. Further progress stalled
in 1999, when then-President Lee Teng-hui declared that such talks should be conducted on
an equal, “state to state” basis, which Beijing took as a statement of Taiwan sovereignty.
Cross-Strait Developments in the Chen Administration. Although Beijing has
adamantly opposed the DPP and its pro-independence statements, early in Chen’s first term
both the PRC and Taiwan governments made selected overtures and statements that some
interpreted as positive signs in PRC-Taiwan relations. In January 2001, Taiwan launched
what it called the “three mini-links” — for the first time permitting direct transport,
commerce, and postal exchanges between two outlying Taiwan islands and the south of
China. In October 2001, Taiwan officials announced they would simplify visa application
procedures for professionals from the PRC, making it easier for them to come live and work
in Taiwan. In November 2001, President Chen gave a speech in Taiwan urging the PRC
government to drop its opposition to negotiating with his administration. In May 2002,
7 Richard Halloran, “‘One China’ Principle Is All but Dead,”Japan Times, Apr. 7, 2004.
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President Chen announced he would send a DPP delegation to Beijing to establish contacts
between the DPP and the Chinese Communist Party.
The PRC also appeared to soften its position. On January 24, 2002, PRC Vice-Premier
Qian Qichen described pro-independence advocates in the DPP as only an “extremely small
number” in the Party, and he invited DPP members to visit the mainland under a “suitable
status” — a change in the PRC’s policy of not meeting with DPP members. More
interestingly, in an interview with Russia’s ITAR-TASS news agency on March 14, 2002,
the deputy director of the PRC’s Taiwan Affairs Office, Zhou Mingwei, suggested that the
PRC may be willing to accept the simultaneous representation of both Beijing and Taipei in
the United Nations, provided that Taiwan acknowledges the “one-China” principle. Even
so, the PRC continued to increase its missile build-up along the south China coast opposite
Taiwan, now deploying close to 500 missiles.
In the lead-up to and aftermath of the March 2004 Taiwan presidential elections, cross-
strait tensions increased. On September 1, 2003, for instance, Taiwan authorities added the
words “Issued in Taiwan” to Taiwan passports, reportedly to avoid confusion between the
PRC and Taiwan. A seemingly innocuous change, the decision appealed to Taiwan
nationalists and irritated Beijing, which responded by saying that the move demonstrated
Taiwan was “inching toward independence.” In December 2003, as the Taiwan referendum
debate heated up, PRC officials publicly warned Taiwan that further moves toward
independence could result in a PRC military response. But as has happened in the past,
tensions appear to have eased in the election’s aftermath. In the first few days of January
2005, the two sides appeared poised to begin negotiations on re-starting direct cross-strait
charter flights during the Lunar New Year holiday in February. Direct charter flights were
held during the Lunar New Year in 2003, but were not in 2004 because of heightened
tensions preceding the Taiwan presidential election.
Private-Sector Exchanges. Meanwhile, unofficial Taiwan-PRC contacts and
economic ties have grown increasingly robust in the past decade. Over 13 million visits have
taken place from Taiwan to the mainland. Over 250,000 mainland Chinese experts,
entrepreneurs and others have traveled to Taiwan for consultations and exchanges.
Exchanges of PRC-Taiwan scholars and experts for consultations on cross-strait and other
issues provide, in the view of some Taiwanese officials, an active “second track” for
PRC-Taiwan dialogue. Other events in cross-strait relations have included the decision by
oil companies in the PRC and Taiwan to explore jointly offshore areas for oil; the start of
flights from Taiwan to the mainland with only a short stopover in Macao or Hong Kong; and
Taiwan’s opening to third-country ships, and selected mainland and Taiwanese ships, to
carry cargo to and from designated ports in Taiwan and on the mainland.
Economic and Trade Issues
Taiwan’s economy grew rapidly (around 10% a year) in the 1970s and 1980s. Growth
declined to around 5-6% a year in the 1990s as the economy matured. In the last few years,
however, the Taiwan economy has experienced a serious slowdown. GDP growth for 2001
contracted by 2.2% — Taiwan’s first economic contraction in 26 years. Exports were down
13.6% in the first seven months of 2001, while the unemployment rate hovered at around
5%. Experts blame these economic difficulties on the global economic downturn, reduced
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U.S. demand for Taiwan’s information technology exports, and the sizeable transfer of the
island’s manufacturing base to the PRC; in the first half of 2001, for instance, Taiwan’s
investment in the PRC grew by 24% over the previous year. Despite the SARS crisis of
2003, which affected Taiwan’s economy both directly and indirectly, the economy has
improved since the low point of 2001, with GDP growth at 3.5% in 2002 and projected at
between 2.2 and 3.0% for 2003. Still, but these are nowhere as stellar as the high growth
rates of the 1990s. Further, economic performance over the next twelve months could be
influenced by political imperatives associated with the presidential and legislative elections
of 2004.
The United States is Taiwan’s largest trading partner, while Taiwan is the eighth- largest
U.S. trading partner. In the year 2003, total U.S.-Taiwan trade was approximately $49
billion, with a Taiwan surplus of approximately $14 billion. Taiwan’s chief exports to the
United States include clothing and footwear, toys, and various electronic products. In recent
years, Taiwanese government officials have attempted to accommodate increased U.S.
pressure on trade issues. They met many U.S. demands for greater market access for U.S.
goods and services and responded to U.S. complaints by taking stronger measures to protect
U.S. copyrights and other intellectual property rights.
Taiwan’s World Trade Organization (WTO) Accession. After a 12-year
application process, Taiwan joined the WTO on January 1, 2002, as “the Separate Customs
Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu” or, less formally, “Chinese Taipei.” In
keeping with the PRC’s wishes, Taiwan was not admitted to the organization until after the
PRC’s accession on December 12, 2001, following a 15-year application process. As a result
of its WTO membership, Taiwan will have to reduce tariffs and open a number of market
sectors to foreign investment, thus setting the stage for new opportunities for U.S.
businesses. In addition, mutual membership in the WTO is likely to have a significant
impact on PRC-Taiwan economic and trade relations. To be in compliance with their WTO
obligations, both Beijing and Taipei will have to reduce long-standing bilateral trade
restrictions, setting the stage for direct trade links between the two governments.
In recent years, the PRC has steadily increased its missile build-up along the south
China coast opposite Taiwan, now deploying over 500 missiles. In December 2003, as the
Taiwan presidential election and referendum debate heated up, PRC officials publicly warned
Taiwan that further moves toward independence could result in a Chinese military response.
President Bush expressed blunt U.S. concern about a Taiwan referendum during a public
appearance in Washington with visiting PRC Premier Wen Jiabao on December 9, 2003.
The President warned “the leader of Taiwan” not to be provocative and stated that the United
States opposed any unilateral changes in Taiwan’s status. This sentiment was reinforced
on October 25, 2004, when Secretary of State Colin Powell, during a visit to Beijing, said
that Taiwan was not a sovereign state and the United States supported Taiwan’s peaceful
reunification with China. Although critics charged the Secretary’s statement violated long-
standing U.S. policy (which has avoided taking a U.S. position on the desirability of
reunification), the State Department maintained that U.S. policy had not changed.
SARS, Avian Flu, and WHO Observer Status
Taiwan did not escape the outbreak of new viruses that have swept Asia since 2002.
By late May 2003, Taiwan reported having 585 probable cases of Severe Acute Respiratory
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Syndrome, or SARS — which first surfaced in southern China in November 2002 — placing
it in third place behind China and Hong Kong for the greatest number of cases. To contain
the SARS outbreak, Taiwan authorities adopted a number of aggressive measures — among
other things, sealing off hospitals containing SARS patients, imposing quarantines, accepting
the resignations of some senior-level health officials, and suspending new visas for visitors
from SARS-affected countries, including China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Canada.
Taiwan also was affected by avian flu outbreaks in 2004, although apparently with a less
virulent strain than that ravaging bird populations and causing some human fatalities
throughout Asia.
Because Taiwan is not a member of WHO (the World Health Organization), the SARS
and avian flu outbreaks have had broader political ramifications for Taiwan’s international
position and for China-Taiwan relations. The PRC has objected strenuously to any WHO
representation by Taiwan, claiming that as Taiwan is part of China, it can access WHO’s
services through the PRC government. Even as the SARS crisis was underway, PRC leaders
continued vigorously to block any international effort to give Taiwan unofficial “observer”
status in the WHO.8 PRC authorities did consent to a WHO team visit to Taiwan to
investigate SARS early in May 2003, and Taiwan scientists attended a two-day WHO SARS
conference in Kuala Lumpur on June 17-18, 2003. But generally, the PRC has insisted that
any Taiwan health official wishing to take advantage of WHO’s medical expertise should do
so only as part of a PRC delegation.
Taiwan authorities, in a view supported by many Members of the U.S. Congress, have
argued that the rapid spread and consequences of emerging communicable diseases
demonstrates why it is essential for Taiwan to be allowed access to WHO’s experts and
information-sharing capabilities. Some Taiwan authorities also have alleged that Beijing’s
obfuscation and cover-up early in the health crisis contributed to the rapid spread of SARS
and increased its harmful consequences in Taiwan.
Policy Trends in the George W. Bush Administration
When it first assumed office, the Bush Administration articulated policies in Asia that
were more supportive of Taiwan and less solicitous of engagement with China than those of
previous U.S. Administrations. More recently, however, Administration officials are seen
to be placing caveats on U.S. support for Taiwan while at the same time fielding a more
cordial policy toward the PRC.
Initial Tilt Toward Taiwan. Many observers concluded in 2001 that the newly
elected George W. Bush had abandoned the long-standing U.S. policy of “strategic
ambiguity” in favor of “strategic clarity” that placed a clearer emphasis on Taiwan’s interests
and showed less concern for PRC views. In addition to approving a major arms sales
package for Taiwan, in an ABC television interview on April 25, 2001, President Bush
8 On May 14, 2003, WHO began a ten-day meeting of its General Assembly in Geneva, at which the
United States was prepared to support Taiwan’s bid — its seventh such attempt — to gain WHO
observer status. Because of PRC opposition, WHO member countries elected not to place the matter
of Taiwan’s participation on the meeting’s agenda.
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responded to a question about what Washington would do if Taiwan were attacked by saying
that the United States would do “Whatever it took to help Taiwan defend herself.” Since
Section 3 of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) addresses only arms sales and not the use of
American military forces in the island’s defense, the President’s answer caused considerable
controversy over whether the United States had changed its policy toward Taiwan’s security
or was preparing to change its position on Taiwan independence. Although State
Department and White House officials, including President Bush, later insisted that the
President’s statement was consistent with U.S. commitments in the TRA and that there had
been no change in U.S. policy, subsequent statements and actions by Bush Administration
officials in the following months continued to appear more supportive of Taiwan than those
of previous U.S. Administrations.
The Bush Administration’s support for Taiwan was in keeping with growing sentiment
in Congress in the late 1990s that the TRA was outdated and that Taiwan’s self-defense
capabilities had eroded while the PRC had grown militarily more capable and more hostile
to its smaller neighbor. These conclusions were supported by a congressionally mandated
annual report, first issued by the Pentagon in February 1999, assessing the military balance
in the Taiwan Strait. The 1999 report concluded that in light of improvements in offensive
military capabilities, by the year 2005 China will have acquired the ability “to attack Taiwan
with air and missile strikes which would degrade key military facilities and damage the
island’s economic infrastructure.”
In addition to differences over security issues, the Administration also differed from its
predecessors in how it handled requests for U.S. visits by senior Taiwan officials. Whereas
earlier U.S. Administrations were either unwilling or forced by congressional pressure to
allow Taiwan officials to come to the United States, the Bush Administration was more
accommodating. The White House approved a transit stop for new Taiwan President Chen
Shui-bian in 2001 during which he visited both New York (previously off-limits) and
Houston, attended public functions and meetings, and met with nearly two-dozen Members
of Congress. Similar U.S. visits were approved for Taiwan’s Vice-President, Annette Lu,
(in early January 2002), and for Taiwan’s Defense Minister, Tang Yao-ming (March 2002),
who attended a defense conference in Florida and while there met with U.S. Deputy
Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly. In
late October 2003, the Bush Administration accommodated President Chen with a higher-
profile transit visit to New York City — a visit that received wide press coverage in Taiwan.
Toward a Taiwan/PRC Balance. Since assuming office, however, the Bush
Administration has been reshaping its own policy articulations concerning both Taiwan and
the PRC. Administration officials now see smooth U.S.-PRC relations as an important tool
in cooperating against terrorism and maintaining stability on the Korean peninsula. As
articulated by Vice-President Cheney during his visit to Shanghai in April 2004, the White
House judges that “the areas of agreement [between the United States and the PRC] are far
greater than those areas where we disagree...”9 By the same token, during Taiwan’s
presidential and legislative campaigns in 2004, the Administration continued to balance
9 From the Q & A session with Vice President Cheney following his speech at Fudan University in
Shanghai, broadcast by Beijing CCTV in English, found in FBIS, April 15, 2004.
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criticisms of the PRC military buildup opposite Taiwan with periodic cautions and warnings
to the Taiwan government, indicating that U.S. support for Taiwan is not unconditional.10
Problems Over Arms Purchases. New difficulties also have arisen in recent years
in the U.S.-Taiwan arms sales relationship. Despite the Bush Administration’s stated support
for enhanced military cooperation with Taiwan and the U.S. decision in 2001 to approve a
major weapons sale package, no arms sales agreements have gone forward for several years.
(The first to do so surfaced on March 30, 2004, when the Pentagon notified Congress of its
intent to sell Taiwan long-range early warning radar systems worth $1.7 billion.) Taiwan’s
apparent inability to take advantage of proffered U.S. military support has become something
of an irritant in Taiwan-U.S. relations. In 2002, U.S. officials began to voice concerns over
what they described as weaknesses in Taiwan’s self-defense and a lagging pace to Taiwan’s
arms purchases. According to one DOD report, Taiwan’s self-defense deficiencies include
an “opaque military policymaking system; a ground force-centric orientation; and a
conservative military leadership culture.” (The full text of the 2003 DOD report can be found
at [http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/20030730chinaex.pdf].) Some U.S. analysts attribute
the lack of progress on arms purchases to Taiwan’s depressed economy, which has reduced
the funds available for defense spending. Others cite Taiwan’s domestic political
environment, in which opposition Taiwan lawmakers have questioned both the overall
military budget and the details of specific weapons purchases, including their cost,
effectiveness, delivery dates, compatibility with Taiwan’s military, and whether Taiwan
companies can benefit or participate.
Implications for U.S. Policy
For much of the past twenty-five years, Taiwan and PRC officials generally maintained
that the United States should remain uninvolved in issues concerning Taiwan’s political
status. Since mid-2003, that appears to be changing, and U.S. officials have been under
subtle but increasing pressure from both governments to become directly involved in some
aspects of the issue. PRC officials late in 2003 began quietly urging the United States to
pressure Chen Shui-bian into shelving his referendum plans. In 2004, they have pressed U.S.
officials to avoid sending the “wrong signals” to Taiwan — defined as those encouraging
independence aspirations. Members of the Taiwan government have begun suggesting to
U.S. officials that the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) needs to be strengthened or re-evaluated.
Chiou I-jen, a key advisor to President Chen, made a low-profile visit to Washington in late
April reportedly to seek U.S. support for Chen’s constitutional reform plans.
Taiwan’s supporters within the U.S. Congress also continue to press for more favorable
U.S. treatment of Taiwan and for Taiwan’s inclusion in some capacity in international
organizations like the World Health Organization. Congressional policy initiatives have
included the formation of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus on April 9th, 2002, and the
formation of the Senate Taiwan Caucus on September 17, 2003. Both of these bodies have
strongly bipartisan memberships. The 108th Congress also is actively considering legislative
measures seeking to reinforce or expand on U.S.-Taiwan ties. (See Legislation below.)
10 “There are limitations with respect to what the United States will support as Taiwan considers
possible changes to its constitution.” Testimony of Assistant Secretary of State James A. Kelly
before the House International Relations Committee, April 21, 2004.
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Faced with these competing pressures and with continuing transformations in both the
PRC and Taiwan systems, U.S. officials may be facing new and more difficult policy choices
concerning Taiwan in the next few years. In addition to raising the risks of political and
economic instability, growing political polarization in Taiwan could erode the quality of
U.S.-Taiwan contacts and create fractures and divisiveness within the sizeable U.S. Chinese-
American community. Pressure from multiple sources could continue to build for U.S.
officials to take any number of actions: to reassess all the fundamentals of U.S.
China/Taiwan policy in light of changing circumstances; to reinforce American democratic
values by providing greater support for Taiwan and possibly support for Taiwan
independence; or to abandon Taiwan in favor of the geopolitical demands and benefits of
close U.S.-China relations. U.S. officials could face increasing pressure to abandon the
traditional “noninvolvement” U.S. approach and instead adopt a mediating role in the cross-
strait relationship. Finally, any policy developments that affect Taiwan have direct
consequences for U.S.-China relations and could involve crucial decisions from U.S.
officials about the extent of U.S. support for Taiwan’s security. In the coming two years, it
appears that actors from across the political spectrum — including governments, interest
groups, political parties, and individuals — will continue efforts to push the United States
into greater commitments and clarity on various questions involving Taiwan.
LEGISLATION
P.L. 108-447 (H.R. 4818). Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related
Programs Appropriations Act, FY2005. Section 526(a) of the bill provided not less than $19
million for activities supporting democracy, human rights, and rule of law in the PRC and
Hong Kong, and included a provision that funds appropriated under the “Economic Support
Fund” be made available to Taiwan to further political and legal reforms. The bill was
introduced on July 13, 2004, reported as an original measure by the House Appropriations
Committee (H.Rept. 108-599). The House passed the bill, amended, on July 15, 2004, by
a vote of 365-41. The measure was referred to the Senate, which passed it on September 23,
2004, in lieu of S. 2812 (amended) by voice vote. A conference was held. On November
11, 2004, both the House and Senate agreed to the Conference Report (H.Rept. 108-792):
the House by a vote of 344-51, with 1 voting present, and the Senate by a vote of 65-30. It
became P.L. 108-447 on December 8, 2004.
P.L. 108-199 (H.R. 2800). Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related
Programs Appropriations Act, FY2004. Section 626(a) of the bill provided not less than $35
million for activities supporting democracy, human rights, and rule of law in the PRC, Hong
Kong, and Tibet; and included a provision that funds appropriated under the “Economic
Support Fund” be made available to Taiwan to further political and legal reforms.
Introduced on July 21, 2003, reported as an original measure by the House Appropriations
Committee (H.Rept. 108-222). The House passed the bill, amended, on July 24, 2003, by
a vote of 370-50. The measure was referred to the Senate, which passed it, amended, by
voice vote on October 30, 2003. Ultimately, H.R. 2800 was merged into H.R. 2673, the
Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY2004. The House passed the bill on December 8,
2003, and the Senate on January 22, 2004. It became P.L. 108-199 on January 24, 2004.
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P.L. 108-235 (S. 2092/H.R. 4019). A bill to authorize a U.S. plan to endorse observer
status for Taiwan in the World Health Organization (WHO) at the annual summit of the
World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva every year, and also to submit annually by April
1 a report to Congress describing that year’s plan. As originally introduced, both House and
Senate versions authorized such a plan for the pending WHA annual meeting in 2004.
Congress had overwhelmingly enacted similar bills in past years — such as P.L. 108-28,
requiring such a plan for the 2003 annual WHA meeting. But the measure as passed makes
this authorization a permanent one. The House International Relations Committee (HIRC)
marked up the measure on March 31, 2003, and the House passed the measure, amended, on
April 21, 2004 (416-0). H.R. 4019 was then referred to the Senate. On April 29, 2004, the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) ordered S. 2092 reported with an amendment
reflecting the House action. The Senate passed the amended S. 2092 by unanimous consent
on May 6, 2004. On May 20, 2004, the House considered and passed the Senate-passed
measure by unanimous consent. The act was cleared for the White House on May 20, 2004,
and it became P.L. 108-235 on June 14, 2004.
CHRONOLOGY
01/02/05 —
Taiwan’s chief negotiator with the PRC, Koo Chen-fu, died at age 87. The
last official cross-strait talks in which Koo participated were in 1993.
12/27/04 — The PRC published a white paper, “China’s National Defense in 2004,”
calling Taiwan’s independence advocates the “biggest immediate threat to
China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
12/17/04 —
PRC officials announced they would include an “anti-secession” law, aimed
at Taiwan, in the March 2005 agenda of the National People’s Congress.
12/15/04 —
President Chen resigned as chairman of the DPP, bowing to criticism that his
policies had caused the DPP’s defeat in legislative elections.
12/11/04 —
Legislative elections gave the opposition KMT 114 seats, the DPP 101 seats,
and independents 10, assuring continued KMT legislative control.
10/25/04 —
Speaking in Beijing, Secretary of State Colin Powell said that Taiwan was
not a sovereign country and that the United States supported Taiwan’s
peaceful reunification with mainland China.
10/10/04 —
In a speech marking Taiwan’s national day, President Chen Shui-bian called
on China to begin cross-strait peace talks. Beijing rejected the offer as “too
insincere and vague to be treated seriously.”
05/20/04 —
Congress passed legislation making permanent a requirement that the United
States annually seek and obtain observer status for Taiwan at the annual
Geneva meeting for the World Health Organization.
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04/16/04 — A senior DPP legislator, Shen Fu-hsiung, called on the DPP to stop
emphasizing the “love Taiwan” slogan from the presidential campaign
because it was polarizing Taiwan society and leading to ethnic divisions.
04/15/04 —
In response to a question about Taiwan during a speech at the PRC’s Fudan
University, Vice President Cheney stated, “We oppose unilateral efforts on
either side to try to alter the current set of circumstances...”
04/11/04 — Taiwan named Mark Chen Tan-sun, a former independence activist and
former president of the World Federation of Taiwanese Associations, to
replace Eugene Chien as Foreign Minister.
04/07/04 —
Theresa Shaheen, director of the American Institute in Taiwan (the unofficial
office managing U.S. relations with Taiwan) resigned unexpectedly amid
speculation that she was considered to be too sympathetic to Taiwan.
03/20/04 —
Chen Shui-bian was re-elected as Taiwan’s president by 29,518 votes out of
13.25 million cast. The KMT opposition challenged the results.
03/19/04 —
Taiwan’s president, Chen Shui-bian, and his running mate, Annette Lu, were
shot and slightly wounded while campaigning in Tainan, Chen’s home town.
12/17/03 —
A PRC spokesman stated that the PRC “must make preparations to resolutely
crush Taiwan independence” plots.
12/16/03 — Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan passed two resolutions, one introduced by the
KMT and one by the DPP, calling on the PRC to withdraw approximately
500 missiles deployed along the south China coast across from Taiwan.
12/09/03 —
In the company of PRC Premier Wen Jiabao, President Bush publicly warned
“the leader of Taiwan” not to take provocative political actions.
11/27/03 —
Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan passed a bill allowing public referendums.
10/31/03 —
Taiwan’s President Chen Chui-bian made a two-day stopover visit in New
York on his way to Panama.
09/17/03 —
The U.S. Senate established the Senate Taiwan Caucus.
04/27/03 —
Taiwan announced its first SARS death, and said it was temporarily stopping
issuing visas to visitors from SARS-infected places, including China, Hong
Kong, Singapore, and Canada.
08/03/02 —
Taiwan’s President, Chen Shui-bian, referred to Taiwan and China as two
different countries, and called for a national referendum on Taiwan’s status.
04/09/02 — U.S. Members of Congress announced the formation of a Congressional
Taiwan Caucus, with over 80 Members.
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04/25/01 —
In an ABC television interview, President Bush said that he would use the
U.S. military to do “whatever it takes” to help Taiwan defend herself.
04/24/01 —
The White House announced it would sell Taiwan defense articles, including
diesel submarines, P-3C anti-submarine aircraft, and Kidd-class destroyers.
FOR ADDITIONAL READING
Rigger, Shelley. “Taiwan in 2003: Plenty of Clouds, Few Silver Linings,” Asian Survey,
January/February 2004, Vol. 44: 1820187.
CRS Reports
CRS Report RS21770: Taiwan in 2004: Elections, Referenda, and Other Democratic
Challenges, by Kerry Dumbaugh.
CRS Report RL30957. Taiwan: Major U.S. Arms Sales Since 1990, by Shirley Kan.
CRS Report 96-246. Taiwan: Texts of the Taiwan Relations Act and the China
Communiques, by Kerry Dumbaugh.
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