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Taiwan and China’s Military Buildup: Part 4 of Election ’08 and the Challenge of China
Two-way trade between Taiwan and China exceeded $100 billion last year and more than one million people from Taiwan are living and working in China. Nonetheless, the Taiwan issue continues to loom large in U.S.-China relations. It and China's efforts to expand and strength its military are the focus of the fourth segment in the USC U.S.-China Institute's documentary on the 2008 election and U.S.-China ties.
October 6, 2008
Click here to go to the main Election '08 and the Challenge of China page.
Taiwan is routinely cited by Chinese as one of the issues most likely to produce conflict between the U.S. and China. The U.S. supplies weapons to Taiwan’s military, but the American government has firmly opposed any Taiwan declaration of independence. The U.S. calls on the officials on both sides of the strait to work collaboratively towards a peaceful and enduring resolution of Taiwan’s status. Since the end of U.S.-Taiwan relations, Taiwan has become a thriving democracy. Ma Ying-jeou became president of Taiwan on May 20, 2008 and has pledged to work towards better ties with the mainland.
This video is also available on the USCI YouTube Channel.
Speakers in this segment include:
Jeffrey Bader, director, John Thornton China Center, Brookings Institution and advisor to Barack Obama; former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia, Director of Asian Affairs, National Security Council, Assistant Trade Representative for China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan
Dan Blumenthal, fellow, American Enterprise Institute and advisor to John McCain; former Vice Chairman, U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commision, country director for China and Taiwan, Office of the Secretary of Defense
Kenneth Lieberthal, professor, University of Michigan and advisor to Barack Obama; former Senior Director for Asia, National Security Council
Clark T. Randt, Jr. , U.S. Ambassador to China
J. Stapleton Roy, managing director, Kissinger Associates and director of the Kissinger Institute on China and the United States at the Woodrow Wilson Center, former Ambassador to China and Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research
Michael Swaine, senior associate, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; former chair and director of the RAND Center for Asia-Pacific Policy
Additional Resources
Documents
U.S. Dept. of Defense, "Military Power of the People's Republic of China," March 3, 2008
U.S. Department of Defense News Briefing, Adm. Keating following Kitty Hawk incident, 2007
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates on security in Asia: America is more engaged than ever, 2007
Congressional Research Service, "Taiwan: Major U.S. Arms Sales Since 1990," 2007
PRC State Council White Paper, "China's Space Activities," October 12, 2006
PRC National People's Congress, "Anti-Secession Law," March 14, 2005
Agencies / Organizations
PRC Central Military Commission
Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office
USCI and US-China Today Articles
Pauline Yang, "Keeping Their Distance: Young Taiwanese Women and Politics," June 20, 2008
Please contact Clayton Dube at the USC U.S.-China Institute (1-213-821-4382 or cdube@usc.edu) with questions about the documentary and its themes or screening inquiries. The documentary is also available at the USC U.S.-China Institute’s channel at YouTube.
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