Sino-U.S. Relations in the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis.

The Sino-U.S. relationship has evolved considerably since 1949. While the early days were characterized by direct conflict in Korea and Vietnam, China and the United States have avoided hostilities since the Nixon administration initiated normalization negotiations. Deng Xiaoping's Twenty-Eight Character Strategy, which advised that Beijing keep a low profile and avoid the limelight, exemplified the softer approach adopted by Beijing at the beginning of its economic reform. This concept remained a key element of Chinese policy into the 1990s, yet China found itself faced with a potential conflict with the U.S. by the middle of the decade. The purpose of this paper is to explore the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis of 1995-1996 to answer two questions. First, what were the atmospherics and contextual factors that explain how the crisis unfolded? An analysis of this event cannot stop at the surface, but rather it must examine the contributing factors such as domestic politics and the international structure. Second, what are the implications of the crisis on the Sino-U.S. relationship? This confrontation illustrated how easily the U.S. and China can navigate their way into a collision, even over interests that are peripheral to the core security of both states. Since this crisis was the only instance of Sino-U.S. use of force since the normalization of relations, U.S. decision-makers will reference these events and draw conclusions to inform future decisions in dealing with a rising China. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]