ABSTRACT
This chapter examines Taiwan’s contemporary relationship with the United States, focusing on how the relatively stable status quo in the Taiwan Strait has become increasingly untenable since the end of the Cold War as a result of a number of factors, including the rise of a nationalistic and assertive People’s Republic of China, the uncertainty of US congressional sentiments regarding Taiwan, and the fact that Taiwan has increasingly become trapped in the strategic rivalry between the United States and China. The chapter also examines the impact and implications on bilateral relations as a result of recent political and social developments in Taiwan as well as possible policy changes by the new Trump Administration. It concludes that in order to sustain the Taiwan-US relationship, Taiwan must not become a dangerous liability to the United States by either pushing for independence thereby sparking a serious crisis in US-China relations, or by failing to invest sufficiently in its own defence to deter the use of force by China.
