Taiwan Strait

The Third Taiwan Strait Crisis, also called the 1995-1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis or the 1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis, was the effect of a series of missile tests conducted by the People's Republic of China in the waters surrounding Taiwan including the Taiwan Strait from July 21, 1995 to March 23, 1996. The first set of missiles fired in mid to late 1995 were allegely intended to send a strong signal to the Republic of China government under Lee Teng-hui, who had been seen as moving ROC foreign policy away from the One-China Policy. The second set of missiles were fired in early 1996, allegely intending to intimidate the Taiwanese electorate in the run-up to the 1996 presidential election. Download high resolution version (681x800, 206 KB)Clean up from Image:Taiwan Straits. ... Download high resolution version (681x800, 206 KB)Clean up from Image:Taiwan Straits. ... Taiwan Strait Area The Taiwan Strait or Formosa Strait is a 180km-wide Strait between mainland China and the island of Taiwan. ... July 21 is the 202nd day (203rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 163 days remaining. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 23 is the 82nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (83rd in Leap years). ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... Motto: Three Principles of the People (三民主義 San-min Chu-i) Anthem: National Anthem of the Republic of China Capital Taipei (de facto)  Nanking (de jure)1  Largest city Taipei Mandarin (GuóyÇ”) Government Semi-presidential system  - President Chen Shui-bian  - Vice President Annette Lu  - Premier Su Tseng-chang Establishment Xinhai... This is a Chinese name; the family name is 李 (Li) Lee Teng-hui (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: , pinyin: Lǐ DÄ“nghuÄ«) born January 15, 1923) is a politician in the Republic of China (ROC). ... The One-China policy (Traditional Chinese: 一個中國; Simplified Chinese: 一个中国; pinyin: yÄ« gè Zhōngguó) is the principle that there is one China and that mainland China, Tibet, Hong Kong, Macau, Xinjiang and Taiwan are all part of that China. ... The Election for the 9th-term President and Vice-President of the Republic of China (第九任中華民國總統 、副總統選舉), the first ever direct elections for President and Vice President of the Republic of China on Taiwan, occurred on March...

Lee's 1995 visit to Cornell

The crisis began when President Lee Teng-hui accepted an invitation from his alma mater, Cornell University, to deliver a speech on "Taiwan's Democratization Experience." Seeking to diplomatically isolate the Republic of China, the PRC opposed such visits by ROC leaders (Nathan and Ross 1998). It argued that Lee harbored pro-Taiwan independence sentiments and was therefore a threat to stability in the region. A year earlier, in 1994, when President Lee's plane had stopped in Honolulu to refuel after a trip to South Africa, the U.S. government had refused Lee's request for a visa. Lee had been confined to the military airfield where he landed, forcing him to spend a night on his plane. A U.S. State Department official called the situation "embarrassing" and Lee complained that Taiwan was being treated as a second-class country. Alma mater is Latin for nourishing mother. It was used in ancient Rome as a title for the mother goddess, and in Medieval Christianity for the Virgin Mary. ... Cornell redirects here. ... Taiwan independence (Traditional Chinese: 台灣獨立; Pinyin: , Pe̍h-oÄ“-jÄ«: Tâi-oân To̍k-li̍p; abbreviated to 台獨, Táidú, Tâi-to̍k) is a political movement whose goal is primarily to create an independent and sovereign Republic of Taiwan (out of the lands currently administered by the... Honolulu as seen from the International Space Station Honolulu is the largest city and the capital of the U.S. state of Hawai‘i. ...

After Lee had decided to visit Cornell, U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher assured PRC Foreign Minister Qian Qichen that a visa for Lee would be "inconsistent with [the U.S.'s] unofficial relationship [with Taiwan]." However, the humiliation from Lee's last visit caught the attention of many pro-Taiwan figures in the U.S. and this time, the United States Congress acted on Lee's behalf. In May 1995, resolutions asking the State Department to allow Lee to visit the U.S. passed the House 396 to 0 and the Senate 91 to 1. The State Department relented on May 22, 1995 and the PRC condemned the U.S. for ruining Sino-American relations. Warren Minor Christopher (born October 27, 1925) is an American diplomat and lawyer. ... Qian Qichen Qian Qichen (钱其琛) (born January 5, 1928) is a Chinese diplomat and communist political figure. ... Type Bicameral Houses Senate House of Representatives President of the Senate Dick Cheney, R, since January 20, 2001 Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, R, since January 6, 1999 Members 535 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political groups (as of January 4, 2005 elections) Democratic Party Republican Party... Seal of the House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives (or simply the House) is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress, the other being the Senate. ... Seal of the U.S. Senate The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress, the other being the House of Representatives. ... Sino-American relations (Simplified Chinese: 中美关系; pinyin: Zhōng-Měi Guānxì) refers to international relations between the United States and China. ...

Lee spent June 9-10, 1995 in the U.S. as the Chinese state press branded him a "traitor" attempting to "split the motherland." You may be looking for: Media in mainland China (that is, in the Peoples Republic of China, excluding Hong Kong and Macau) Media in Hong Kong Media in Macao This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

PRC military response

The PRC government was furious over the US’s policy reversal and resorted to military intimidation. On July 7, 1995, the Xinhua News Agency announced missile tests to be conducted by the People's Liberation Army and pointed out that this would endanger the peace and safety of the region. The PRC conducted tests from July 21 to 26 in an area only 60 kilometers north of ROC-held Pengchiayu Island. At the same time, the PRC mobilized forces in Fujian. In the later part of July and early August numerous commentaries were published by Xinhua and the People's Daily condemning Lee and his cross-strait policies. Front gate of the main building of Xinhua News Agency in Beijing The Xinhua News Agency (Simplified Chinese: 新华社; Traditional Chinese: 新華社; pinyin: ), or NCNA (New China News Agency), is the official press agency of the government of the Peoples Republic of China and the biggest center for collecting information and... This does not cite its references or sources. ... (Chinese: 福建; Pinyin: Fújiàn; Wade-Giles: Fu-chien; Postal System Pinyin: Fukien, Foukien; local transliteration Hokkien from Min Nan Hok-kiàn) is one of the provinces on the southeast coast of China. ... The Peoples Daily (Chinese: 人民日报 Pinyin ) is the official newspaper of the Communist Party of China, published worldwide with a circulation of 3 to 4 million. ...

Another set of missile firings, accompanied by live ammunition exercises, occurred from August 15 to 25, 1995. Naval exercises in August were followed by amphibious exercises in November. Though many of these military activities were part of the normal PLA training regiment, this was the first time in many years that they were announced publicly.

The U.S. response was low key: the USS Nimitz passed through the Taiwan Strait in December 1995, a few months after the PLA's tests. This transit, the first by a U.S. warship since 1976, was announced only six weeks later. Nevertheless, PLA General Xiong Guangkai warned a visiting American envoy, "In the end, you care more about Los Angeles than you do about Taipei." USS Nimitz (CVN-68) is a supercarrier in the United States Navy, the lead ship of its class. ... Taiwan Strait Area The Taiwan Strait or Formosa Strait is a 180km-wide Strait between mainland China and the island of Taiwan. ...

The PLA's activities in 1995 had the effect of reducing the value of the Taiwanese stock market by one-third and reducing the capital in Taiwan by US$ 10 million. An intimidated electorate, believing Lee had unnecessarily provoked Beijing, increased representation of the strongly pro-reunification Chinese New Party in the Legislative Yuan from 8 to 21 while Lee's Kuomintang lost seats and the Democratic Progressive Party gained less than expected. Chinese (re)unification (Traditional Chinese: 中國統一; Simplified Chinese: 中国统一; Pinyin: ) is a goal of Chinese nationalism that refers to the reunification of all of China under a single political entity. ... The New Party (新黨, xīndăng), formerly the Chinese New Party (CNP; 中華新黨, zhōnghúa xīndăng), is a political party in the Republic of China on Taiwan. ... The Legislative Yuan building in Zhongzheng District, Taipei City (the view is partially obscured by the childrens hospital building of the National Taiwan University Hospital). ... The Chinese Nationalist Party (Traditional Chinese: 中國國民黨; Simplified Chinese: 中国国民党; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Tongyong Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chung-kuo Kuo-min-tang), commonly known as the Kuomintang (KMT), is a centre-right political party in the Republic of China on Taiwan, and is currently the largest political party in terms of sitting Legislative... The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) (Traditional Chinese: 民主進步黨; Simplified Chinese: 民主进步党; abbrev. ...

Run-up to the 1996 election

Beijing intended to send a message to the Taiwanese electorate that voting for Lee Teng-hui in the 1996 presidential election meant war. A third set of PLA tests from March 8 to March 15 (just shortly preceding the March 23 election), sent missiles within 25 to 35 miles (just inside the ROC's territorial waters) off the ports of Keelung and Kaohsiung. Over 70 percent of commercial shipping passed through the targeted ports, which were disrupted by the proximity of the tests. Flights to Japan and trans-Pacific flights were prolonged by ten minutes because airplanes needed to detour away from the flight path. Ships traveling between Kaohsiung and Hong Kong had to take a two-hour detour. The Election for the 9th-term President and Vice-President of the Republic of China (第九任中華民國總統 、副總統選舉), the first ever direct elections for President and Vice President of the Republic of China on Taiwan, occurred on March... March 8 is the 67th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (68th in Leap years). ... March 15 is the 74th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (75th in Leap years). ... March 23 is the 82nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (83rd in Leap years). ... Keelung (基隆 Pinyin: Jīlóng, Wade-Giles: Chi-lung) is a county-level city of Taiwan Province, Republic of China. ... Kaohsiung City (Traditional Chinese:高雄市, Tongyong Pinyin: Gaosyóng, Hanyu Pinyin: Gāoxióng, POJ: Ko-hiông; coordinates 22°38N, 120°16E) is a city located in southern Taiwan. ...

On March 8, the U.S. announced that it was deploying the Independence carrier battle group (CVBG), already stationed in the western Pacific, to international waters near Taiwan. On the following day, the PRC announced live-fire exercises to be conducted near Penghu from March 12-20. On March 11, the U.S. deployed the Nimitz CVBG, which steamed at high speed from the Persian Gulf. Tensions erupted further on March 15 when Beijing announced a simulated amphibious assault planned for March 18-25. March 8 is the 67th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (68th in Leap years). ... The fifth USS Independence (CVA-62), a Forrestal-class aircraft carrier, was launched by New York Navy Yard 6 June 1958; sponsored by Mrs. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Pescadores Islands (Chinese: 澎湖群島; Wade-Giles: Peng-hu; Pinyin: Pénghú, from Portuguese, fishermen) are an archipelago in the Taiwan Strait. ... March 11 is the 70th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (71st in Leap year). ... USS Nimitz (CVN-68) is a supercarrier in the United States Navy, the lead ship of its class. ... It has been suggested that Persian Gulf States be merged into this article or section. ...

Sending two carrier battle groups showed not only a symbolic gesture towards the ROC, but a readiness to fight on the part of the U.S. The ROC government and Democratic Progressive Party welcomed America's support, but staunch unificationist presidential candidate Lin Yang-kang and the PRC decried "foreign intervention." The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) (Traditional Chinese: 民主進步黨; Simplified Chinese: 民主进步党; abbrev. ... Lin Yang-kang (林洋港, pinyin: Lín Yánggǎng; b. ...

The PRC's attempts at intimidation were counterproductive. Arousing more anger than fear, it (as most analysts believe) boosted Lee by 5% in the polls, earning him a majority as opposed to a mere plurality. The military tests and exercises also strengthened the argument for further U.S. arms sales to the ROC and led to the strengthening of military ties between the U.S. and Japan, increasing the role Japan would play in defending Taiwan.

The crisis, however, had a noticeable impact in disrupting the Taiwanese economy. The stock market fell by 17% for the duration of the crisis. Capital fled the island and real estate prices fell. The government was forced to spend US$ 18 million for economic recovery.

Further reading

• Ross, Robert S., "The 1995-1996 Taiwan Strait Confrontation: Coercion, Credibility, and Use of Force", International Security, 25:2, pp.87-123, Fall 2000, Retrieved: April 14, 2006 (PDF file) — This article traces in detail the course of the crisis and analyzes the state of Sino-American relations both before and after the crisis.

• Copper, John F., (2006) "Playing With Fire: The Looming War with China over Taiwan". Copper examines the elements that are leaning the U.S. and The People's Republic of China towards war.

This politics-related article is a stub. ... April 14 is the 104th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (105th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

• Nathan, Andrew & Ross, Robert. The Great Wall and the Empty Fortress, pg. 221, New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 1998.

See also

• Political status of Taiwan
• Battle of Kuningtou
• First Taiwan Strait Crisis
• Second Taiwan Strait Crisis
• List of battles over Quemoy
• Chinese Civil War
• Liu Liankun

Taiwan Strait area The controversy regarding the political status of Taiwan hinges on whether Taiwan, including the Pescadores (Penghu), should remain the effective territory of the Republic of China (ROC), become unified with the territories now governed by the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), or become the Republic of... The Battle of Kuningtou (古寧頭之役) was a battle fought over Quemoy in the Taiwan Strait during the Chinese Civil War in 1949. ... Taiwan Strait The First Taiwan Strait Crisis (also called the 1954-1955 Taiwan Strait Crisis or the 1955 Taiwan Strait Crisis) was a short armed conflict that took place between the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC) governments. ... Taiwan Strait The Second Taiwan Strait Crisis, also called the 1958 Taiwan Strait Crisis, was a conflict that took place between the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC) governments in which the PRC was accused by Taiwan of shelling the islands of Matsu and... As one of the front line islands between the Republic of China and the Peoples Republic of China, ROC-occupied Quemoy has seen many battles and tensions between the two throughout the Cold War. ... Combatants Chinese Nationalists Chinese Communists Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Mao Zedong Strength 4,300,000 (July 1946) 3,650,000 (June 1948) 1,490,000 (June 1949) 1,200,000 (July 1946) 2,800,000 (June 1948) 4,000,000 (June 1949) The Chinese Civil War (Traditional Chinese: , Simplified Chinese... Liu Liankun (劉連昆) (died 1999), was a Major General (Shao Jiang) in the Peoples Liberation Army who provided the Republic of China in Taiwan with secret intelligence about the status of missiles from the Peoples Republic of China. ...

External links

• The Taiwan Strait Crisis of 1996: Strategic Implications for the United States Navy
• 3rd Taiwan Strait Crisis - 1995-96