"Taiwan Policy Looms Over US-China Summit Talks"
Taiwan Relations Act
1979 US law forming the legal basis for unofficial US-Taiwan relations and arms sales.
Strategic ambiguity
US policy of not clarifying whether it would militarily defend Taiwan from a Chinese attack.
Taiwan's ambiguous international status dates to 1949, when the defeated Republic of China (ROC) government retreated to the island after the Chinese Civil War, while the People's Republic of China (PRC) took control of the mainland. Both governments claimed to be the sole legitimate government of 'China'. Until 1979, the United States recognised the ROC in Taipei as China's official representative. Between 1972 and 1982, the US and the PRC signed Three Joint Communiqués that normalised diplomatic relations, under which Washington agreed to derecognise Taiwan and gradually reduce arms sales to it, while acknowledging (but not endorsing) Beijing's position that Taiwan is part of 'one China'.
To balance this shift, the US passed the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) of 1979, which remains the legal foundation of unofficial US-Taiwan relations to this day. The TRA commits the US to provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character and to maintain the capacity to resist any resort to force that would jeopardise Taiwan's security. Alongside the TRA, the US issued the Six Assurances, a classified 1982 memorandum to Taiwan clarifying that Washington had not agreed to any fixed end date for arms sales and would not consult Beijing beforehand. This dual structure, formal derecognition paired with a legally binding defence commitment, has allowed the US to maintain relations with both sides for over four decades.
At the centre of this framework sits the doctrine of strategic ambiguity: the US deliberately avoids stating whether it would intervene militarily if China attacked Taiwan. The logic is to deter Taiwan from provoking China through a formal independence declaration while also deterring China from assuming the US would stay neutral. Successive US presidents have periodically drifted toward strategic clarity, explicitly stating that the US would intervene, before administrations walk the statements back to preserve ambiguity. This oscillation itself has become a live variable in the US-China relationship, since Beijing reads any softening as an opportunity to press for concessions on arms sales and official contacts. …
"China is using its economic relations and positive trade surplus as tools to develop potential military power status in Asia." In the light of this statement, discuss its impact on India as her neighbour.
Consider the following statements regarding the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA):
1.It was enacted by the US Congress in 1979.
2.It establishes official diplomatic relations between the US and Taiwan.
3.It commits the US to provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The term 'strategic ambiguity', often mentioned in the context of Taiwan, refers to which of the following?
Match the following agreements/instruments in US-China-Taiwan relations with their correct year of signing/issuance:
List I:
A.First Joint Communiqué
B.Second Joint Communiqué (normalisation)
C.Third Joint Communiqué
D.Six Assurances
List II:
1.1972
2.1978
3.1979
4.1982
With reference to semiconductor manufacturing, consider the following statements:
1.TSMC is headquartered in Taiwan.
2.TSMC is the world's largest contract manufacturer of advanced semiconductor chips.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The 'Six Assurances', mentioned in the context of Taiwan, are best described as which of the following?
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