The confrontation between China and the U.S. over Taiwan
Submit a 10 to 15-page paper on a subject that addresses the core theme of this course, the potential and
limitations of diplomacy as a mechanism by which to secure outcomes in international relations. Using the exemplars of the case studies explored over the course of the semester, each student is required to role play as the United States Secretary of State and submit a proposal to the President of the United States in which they offer a diplomatic framework intended to resolve one of the major flashpoints in contemporary international relations
Sample Solution
Taiwan has been a primary irritant between the US and China since the Cold War and remains so despite the three communiques – 1972, 1979, and 1982 – and the “Six Assurances” that guide the US-China relations. However, the present crisis has escalated the cross-strait tensions to a possible US-China military clash over Taiwan. Fast forward to the current geopolitics, the frontier continues to impact both China and the U.S. The post-2008 Global Financial Crisis saw a rise of a proactive China, hell-bent on ousting the US from dominating its periphery. Because the U.S. is not supposed to have any official ties with the island of Taiwan under the 1979 agreement, the speaker of the U.S. House going to Taiwan to meet with government officials is viewed by the Chinese as a violation of the agreement.
