The Possible War between China and Taiwan Causing WWIII

By. Eric Squires

Period 2

Mr. Haskell

23 March 2004

China and Taiwan have always had a background of problems between one another. They constantly have had their battle, at who owns who and if they are separate nations or not. Some of the main issues of reunifying Taiwan and China by force are those of the possibility of Taiwan attacking China, the possibility of China attacking Taiwan, the quest for the motherland, the U.S protecting Taiwan, and the selling of arms to Taiwan and to China by the U.S.

The problems between Taiwan and China have really been happening for a long time but one of the main times when it got bad was during 1955. In 1955 China debates with the U.N. over the fact that Taiwan is part of China.(Cheng, A Chronology of the people’s Republic of China, pg. 41) The U.N. orders a cease fire between China and Taiwan but China does not listen because they do not agree with the U.N.’s decision. China also states that the U.S. is causing tension in this problem. Even from the start of this battle between China and Taiwan, the U.S has always been in it backing up Taiwan. In 1955 president Eisenhower put troops into Taiwan to protect Taiwan while they were waiting for the cease fire by the U.N. (Cheng, A Chronology of the people’s Republic of China, pg. 41) This really bothered China that the U.S was backing up Taiwan so they started to think ahead and build up an army. The government of China told their people that they had to be in the army for 3 years or the air force for 4 or the navy for 5. (Cheng, A Chronology of the people’s Republic of China, pg. 41) When the U.S. was not budging from Taiwan China started to threaten the U.S. And after this occurred China started to become so uptight that China started worrying about traders and how to get all of them our of their country. China tried to remove all of the Chiang Kai-Shek from their country which came from Taiwan. So basically, if Taiwan was not for China, China would try to make Taiwan’s life living hell

Current Status and Recent Events

China and Taiwan are still going at it; just both countries are not making such rash moves. China right now is hoping for a peaceful reunification with two different systems for the two countries, but less than one rule; or this is at least what China is telling the media. It is said that a lot of Chinese believe that Taiwan wants to join China or at least should join China.

There is confusion weather Taiwan is still part of China because technically they should be because they never really separated from China. So Beijing has been worried that if Taiwan keeps making changes, especially in their constitution, Taiwan will want independence causing a war. (New York Times 17 January 2004 : A5) Now for a fact Taiwan has been politically separate from China, but still not country-wise separate.

The way that Taiwan started was when Nationalists from China retreated to the island when Chinese communists took over. This is why China believes that Taiwan is part of China because the people of Taiwan are originally from China. Taiwan believes that by the Nationalists leaving China makes Taiwan not part of China. This is what creates a large problem. Right now the U.S is still behind Taiwan but the U.S is still strengthening its relations with China as well. Although since the U.S signed the Taiwan Relations Act in 1979 they have been forced to not sell weapons to China that could be in the future used on Taiwan. (David Bender, China Opposing Viewpoints, pgs. 180-181) The U.S still has sold some weapons to China but the main types that they will not sell are electronical warfare devices, anti sub units, intelligence gathering devices, power projections, and superior air units.

Analysis and Recent Flare-ups

The reason this problem is going on is because of China wanting power. Not only that, but Taiwan makes a lot of money by trading goods so it could eventually help China’s economy. China feels treated by Taiwan and also by the U.S backing up Taiwan. China needs to not be so greedy. Also the people from Taiwan need to keep writing their new constitution. The U.S could still back up Taiwan but if selling weapons to China makes the U.S money, well the U.S should not become enemies with China over Taiwan.

This China verses Taiwan and reunion could be a very large problem thought. As stated earlier since Taiwan is backed up by the U.S, if China and Taiwan go to war it will basically be the U.S against China. In theory this could be the cause of the next world war. Both the U.S and China own nukes so they are both possible at making large amounts of damage very fast. Also both countries have a great number of troops and arms. If China and the U.S went to war it would be brutal and devastating.

This is one of the reasons China and Taiwan need to figure things out between one another. They need to either decide to be separate countries or not. The single country with two different governments, idea would not work out that well because two countries can not be one with 2 different leaders. The most recent flare-ups have just basically been on this idea of creating one country with two governments.

Previous Attempts

The previous attempts were not really attempts but more of taking action. These attempts were mainly to make sure there was not a war between Taiwan and China. The U.S joined up with Taiwan when China treated Taiwan by using force. China also threatened the U.S if they did not get out of Taiwan they would do something. Both the countries China and the U.S started to make very large amounts of weapons just incase of battle, and then Taiwan started to create its own little army.

There were no attempts of peace ever since China would not agree to a seize fire that the U.N issued in 1955. (Cheng, A Chronology of the people’s Republic of China, pg. 41) China seemed to be happy with using force to get their way, which was not working, but it was not really doing anything either. Although china threatened the U.S they really were not going to fight the U.S because they did not want to get into another battle, one with Taiwan was enough.

There was no solution made either only talk of the solution of making the one country with two different governments, which would not work. Taiwan at one point when China was weak from civil war even tried to concur the motherland. China is not the only country that is stubborn.

Prediction

Probably what will end up happening is the two countries will get tired of it and form on country with two governments. This will not work well at all but it most likely will happen. The two governments will get so tired of fighting over this that possibly they will break down and come together. There are already signs of it. It is said that both Taiwan and China right now believe their should be one China, who is in charge is still up for debate and will be for a very long time. (Time 26 April 1993: v141 n17 p15)

If this does happen, that is the formation of one China, and then there will be social and governmental problems. The Chinese communist government is much more powerful than the Taiwan government and probably would end up taking over. This would get Taiwan upset and most likely start the whole cycle over again. This is why it would not work to join the two countries together with two governments.

Another thing that could happen would be the U.N trying to step in again to appoint who is the ruler of the land, but this would obviously be pointless just like the time they tried to tell China to cease fire. (Cheng, A Chronology of the people’s Republic of China, pg. 41)

Solution

This problem will never be solved unless one of three things happens, one of the countries gives in, one of the countries is taken over by the other, or both countries are just satisfied with being their own countries. The most probably of these three predictions would be that the two countries would go into war who owns who when one is at a weak point like in the past during the times of the civil wars in China.

This really probably will not happen for quite a while though because it could start a WWIII with the U.S behind Taiwan. If Taiwan was just alone and the U.S stopped playing the worlds police, Taiwan would have already been taken over by now and this problem would not have been taking place for so many years and years to come. But basically when China goes to war with the U.S everyone will be effected. Countries will get their allies and those with theirs and then another world war will erupt.

This is only a prediction and only a prediction if the two countries go to war. If the two countries just forgot about the territory and became segregated this problem would also go away, but since both countries are so stubborn this will not happen for a while. This is a very long grudge.

In fact China and Taiwan may never get over this and it might just be an everlasting problem till the end of time. Maybe there really is no solution the two countries would agree on between themselves.

Some of the main issues of reunifying Taiwan and China by force are those of the possibility of Taiwan attacking China, the possibility of China attacking Taiwan, the quest for the motherland, the U.S protecting Taiwan, and the selling of arms to Taiwan and to China by the U.S. This whole battle that has lasted so long is over land. Both countries want control of one another and neither will give up. The U.S is backing up the underdog of the two and this ads another conflict. The possible solution to end this is for the two countries just to live as separate countries and not worry about one another, either that or have a nice big war. This is the cycle of the battle of the two countries China, and Taiwan.

Works Cited

Web Site

"Reunification of China and Taiwan." Online posting. August 1993. The Taiwan Question and Reunification of China . 26 February 2004. <http://www.chinaconsulate.se/Content/Taiwan/whitepaper2.htm>.

Reference

Cheng, Peter. A Chronology of The People's Republic of China. Littlefield: Adams and Co., 1972.

Book

Bender, David. China Opposing Viewpoints. Sandiego: Greenhaven Press Inc., 1989.

Book

Wee, Jessie. Taiwan. Hong Kong: Chelsa House Publishers, 1987.

Newspaper

New York Times. "Taiwan's Leader Tones Down Referendum Opposed by Beijing." New York Times 17 January 2004 : A5.

Magazine

Time. "The All-China summit." Time 26 April 1993: v141 n17 p15.

Book

Green, Robert. Taiwan. San Diego: Lucent Books, 2001.