The first four Taiwan Strait crises

Since its foundation in 1949, the Chinese Communist Party insists that Taiwan is a part of China and that the thriving democratic country must return to the autocratic mainland --if necessary by force.

In 1954 China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) attacked Quemoy, also called Kinmen, an island a few miles from mainland China but belonging to Taiwan. In January 1955, the American Congress passed the ‘Formosa Resolution’ giving President Eisenhower authority to defend Taiwan including the off-shore islands. As the result America and Republic of China (Taiwan) signed the Sino-American Defense Treaty forcing People’s Republic of China (PRC) to cease attacks on Taiwan territory. That was the First Taiwan Strait Crisis.

The Second Taiwan Strait Crisis happened in 1958 when PLA fired artillery on Quemoy and Matsu islands and tried to land on them. But they were repulsed by Taiwanese forces with American naval and air support. Both sides suffered several hundred casualties before the hostilities petered out.

The Third Taiwan Strait Crisis began on July 25, 1995 when the PLA conducted a series of missile firings in waters around Taiwan including in the Strait. They were meant to send a strong signal to Taiwan President Li Teng-hui, who was seen as moving his policy away from the One-China principle. He indeed established trade relations with neighbor countries and America in particular. He also visited his Alma Mater in America. Jiang Zemin in Beijing was furious. American President Bill Clinton then sent the Nimitz aircraft carrier battle group through the Taiwan Strait.

In early 1996, Jiang Zemin ordered another set of missiles to be fired in order to intimidate the Taiwanese electorate from giving Li a new mandate. But the brave Taiwanese gave Li even an absolute majority of 54%. This time the Independence aircraft carrier strike group with many more destroyers and frigates fearlessly passed the strait. Result: The Chinese leadership acknowledged its inability to stop US forces from coming to Taiwan’s assistance. This was the fourth Taiwan Strait crisis.

We can see that demonstration of power is the only language that Communists understand. Remember the 1962 Cuba crisis!

We can easily imagine what the Communists in their rabid greed for land would have done if the Americans had not acted as they did. A little south from Taiwan there lies a beautiful but almost defenseless archipelago. The Chinese would have installed in Manila as their puppet governor Jose Maria C. Sison. His New People’s Army would terrorize the Filipinos the way the constables did under another dictator. Sison would now be in his 26th year of dictatorship executing Xi Jinping’s orders.

In the view of Chinese strategists the Philippines is located in the first island chain. Consequently it is most endangered to become the second new province of China after Taiwan. Then they would bring millions of surveillance cameras with facial recognition to every street corner in the Philippines. In all places of worship a big banner of Xi Jinping would cover the cross of Christ. No more fiestas, no more cock fights! (To be continued)

Erich Wannemacher

Lapu-Lapu City