Excerpt from a piece of writing by Peter

This is taken from something I wrote a few months ago.

DISCLAIMER: This is a theory that I thought would be interesting and could provide an explanation for US/Taiwan relations. The validity of this is highly disputable, and the claims I make below may not represent my true feelings on the conflict between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China. This was not written with the intention of offending anyone.

America has been supporting Taiwan and its democratic government for several decades. America originally took this stance when many nations were overturning their old systems of government and moving to newer forms. At the time, America wanted to spread democracy as much as possible and prevent nations from adopting the evil of communism. The democratic system that was first set up in China had the backing of the US, and was given support against the Communist Party that ended up controlling China. World War II and the Cold War could be considered wars against ideologies: first against the Nazis and the militarist Japanese, then against their Soviet allies from World War II (the USSR was also threatened by the Nazis during WWII, so the alliance was primarily due to having a common enemy). America threw its weight behind Taiwan, South Vietnam, and South Korea during the Cold War, and had its democratic NATO allies join the US in its efforts.


Now, the fight for democracy in those regions is all but gone. China has emerged as a world superpower, the communist North Vietnam won the Vietnam War, and North and South Korea are at a stalemate. The purpose of supporting South Korea is clear, because North Korea still poses a threat to South Korea. Why, then, is Taiwan still of interest to the US of A?


The feud between the ownership of Taiwan has largely settled down. China is no longer shelling the island nation, and has no clear plans that it seeks to invade or attack. It is unlikely that using Taiwan is a viable means of changing the form of government in China, because of China's international standing and position. Taiwan has other uses, though. It's a check on the powers of China. Taiwan, because it is not officially recognized as a separate country in the UN or by some other nations, can freely criticize China without any serious repercussions. China also rivals the US's economy and military, and is gaining more and more power in the world constantly. Taiwan is form of check that the US can use without China condemning the US for its actions. If China suddenly falls out of power someday, it is unlikely that the US will have as much a use for Taiwan as it does now.