美台軍事關係演變之回顧與展望(1996-2008)

Abstract

In 1978, U.S. established its official diplomatic ties with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and ended its ties with Taiwan, the Republic of China (ROC). From that day on, U.S. and Taiwan began its very unusual and unique relationship; under U.S. Government official documents and statements such as the “Taiwan Relations Act” and “Six Assurances”, the U.S. and Taiwan maintained its unofficial relations through various quasi-official and non-official channels. This has helped the U.S. maintain the balance between its China and Taiwan policy respectively. Generally speaking, the “Three Communiques” between U.S. and the PRC along with the “Taiwan Relations Act” serve as the main framework for U.S.-China-Taiwan trilateral relations. Since 1994, China's military spending has risen with double-digit percentages annually; the swift modernization of China’s military capabilities has become a focal issue in U.S.-Taiwan military exchange. During the Taiwan Strait Missile Crisis in 1995 through1996, U.S. deployed two aircraft carriers to the Strait to deter China’s possible use of force against Taiwan. Consequently, U.S. and Taiwan military cooperation has expanded from arms sales, technical guidance and transfer and intelligence cooperation to deploying official military attaches and enhancing weapon integration and personnel training. In the meantime, U.S. has continued to improve its cooperation with China. As U.S. attempts to maintain military-to-military relations with both sides of the Strait, it has also showed its determination to maintain the balance of power in the Strait. This study finds that U.S.-Taiwan military exchange has been affected by the dynamics of U.S.-China-Taiwan trilateral relations. The study also finds that even though the U.S. needs China’s assistance in issues such as North Korea nuclear crisis and global war on terrorism, it has not reduced nor downgraded its arms sales to Taiwan. In addition, the study finds U.S.- Taiwan’s “soft” military exchange is more easily influenced by the changes of U.S.-Taiwan relations, which is most evident in high-level military dialogue. In conclusion, U.S.-Taiwan military interaction is affected by U.S. policies to both Taiwan and China; and the relationship among the three actors has been guided by the U.S. perceptions on its own national interests and security strategy.