Taiwan crisis
News, analysis and scenarios from both sides of the Strait
Chronology of the crisis
Founding of the People's Republic of China
- Mainland and Taiwan unofficially become two separate countries
- Start of Taiwanese naval blockade on the coast
First Taiwan Strait Crisis
- Artillery exchange between nationalists and PRCs.
- Conquest of coastal islands by the PRC
- Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty
Second Taiwan Strait Crisis
- Bombing of Kinmen and Matsu islands by the ELP
- Amphibious assault on Dongding Island repulsed
- Over 3,000 civilian and military dead and wounded
Death of Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek dies and leaves the country's government to his son
Third Taiwan Strait Crisis
- ELP missile tests
- Speech on democratization at Cornell University
- US sends 5th Carrier Strike Group into the Straits
KMT loses government
Chen Shui-bian, leader of the Democratic Progressive Party, wins the 2000 election and becomes the first non-Guomindang president
"Politics of 4 no and 1 without"
"The Politics of 4 Yes and One Without."
President Chen proclaims:
- Taiwan wants independence
- Taiwan wants the rectification of his name a new constitution
- Taiwan wants a new constitution
- Taiwan wants the development and
- Taiwanese policy is without Right or left but only pro-unification or pro-independence
Solomon Islands sovereigns of the Pacific
Security agreement between People's Republic and Solomon Islands changes the cards in battle with U.S. over control of Pacific
The thermometer of Asia: Pelosi in Taiwan
A posthumous analysis of reactions in Asia to the event
Context maps
Dramatis personae
A catastrophe also separates the fragile from the resilient and antifragile, Taleb's wonderful word for describing something that is strengthened under stress (remember Nietzsche: "That which does not kill me makes me stronger"). Others survive, though weakened. But a third category, the Nietzschean category, emerges stronger. I suspect that, despite appearances, the United States is in the second category, not the first, while the People's Republic of China may eventually prove to be in the first category, not the second, much less the third. The Republic of China, Taiwan is in category three, unless Beijing annexes it.
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