On Post-Cold War U.S. Arms Sale To Taiwan And China’s Coping Strategy

The Taiwan issue concerns China’s core interests, touches upon China’ssovereignty and territorial integrity. U.S. policy towards Taiwan exerts profoundimpact on the solution of Taiwan issue. U.S. arms sale to Taiwan plays the core role inU.S. Taiwan policy. Therefore, it is of important practical significance to study on thepost-Cold War U.S. arms sale to Taiwan. Based on statistic analyze, this paperattempts to explore its overview, causes, characteristics and influence, eventually, putforward China’s coping strategy.Observe the overview of Post-Cold War U.S. arms sale to Taiwan, the Old Bushwas the first to break the "August17communiqués " restrictions, significantlyincreasing arms sales to Taiwan. Clinton facilitated Lee Teng-hui ’s visit to deepenthe US-Taiwan military relations.George W. Bush uphold the "one China " principle,but there was "hollow " tendency. Under the context of shifting its strategic focus tothe Asia-Pacific region, Obama upgraded US-Taiwan military relations. ExploreAmerica’s Taiwan behavior logic starting point, besides Taiwan’s special strategicvalue to the U.S., political and economic interests are also taken into consideration. Inaddition, the three Sino-US joint communiqués’ incomplete arms sale provision andthe U.S." Taiwan Relations Act "," Six Assurances to Taiwan " and other legaldocuments also provide an institutional guarantee for its arms sale behavior.When analyzing in depth the characteristics and causes of post-Cold War U.S.arms sale to Taiwan, the reason why Old Bush administration surged in the numberand quality, mainly due to the dissolution of Soviet Union, China-US relationsdeterioration and the Old Bush’s domestic pressure. The reason why Clinton ’s secondterm sales amount far outweigh than that of his first term, the outbreak of1995-1996Taiwan Strait crisis played a key role. The reason why during George W. Bush eraemerged a low wandering period in U.S. arms sale to Taiwan, mainly because China’spublishing of " Anti-Secession Law" and relevantly stable and healthy development ofSino-US relations after the "911" event. The reason why Obama’s first five year’samount outweighs the total of previous three U.S. government, mainly because theeconomic crisis in the United States and his shift of U.S. strategic focus to theAsia-Pacific region. Throughout the post-Cold War U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, thereare three general characteristics: First, the overall change is in proportion to the U.S. national unemployment rate; Second, the status of domestic law is above theinternational law," Taiwan Relations Act " outranks " August17communiqués ";Third, the political significance of U.S. arms sale to Taiwan is more important than itsmilitary significance.U.S. arms sales to meet the behavioral logic of Morgenthau’s traditional realismtheory. Meanwhile, it exerts three major influence on China: first, threaten China’score interests and hinder China’s reunification process. Second, through themanipulation of the Taiwan Strait situation, trigger an arms race on both sides. Third,creating the turbulent external environment to hinder China’s modernization. In thisregard, China should take the following strategies: First, build mechanism-to deepenChina-US strategic mutual trust. Second, multi sanctions-to improve US-Taiwanarms sales costs. Third, based on our own-to promote the modernization of nationaldefense. Fourth, look to the future-strive to realize the eventual reunification.