| Summary: | 碩士 === 國防管理學院 === 國防決策科學研究所 === 89 === Abstract
Over fifty years, the government of the Republic of China, though sound and safe, has gone through a lot of difficulties. The stability of the country has been lying not only on its military strength and the achievements of its economy and democracy, but also on the support and protection provided by the United States. The steady development of Taiwan is in many respects related to the support of the United States of America. During the Cold War era, Taiwan’s strategically important location significantly contributed to the American interests in the west Pacific Ocean. After the Cold War era, there is no longer a globally bilateral confrontation. Instead, Taiwan became an important outpost where the US countermeasures the power proliferation of PRC, which makes the triangle relationships among the US, PRC, and ROC too complicated to be dealt with.
In the light of the principle that the military strategy is under the direction of the national security strategy, during the Cold War ear, the main approach that the US took to the former Soviet Union was the global “containment strategy.” The US government used to take “Massive Retaliation,” “Flexible Response,” and so forth to execute “Containment Strategy.” Initially, the US Containment Strategy weighed more heavily in Europe than in Asia. Until the Korea War broke out, Taiwan and Korea were accommodated within the Containment Strategy as a key point to Mainland China. Therefore, the US signed a series of bilateral agreements with ROC as well as multilateral agreements with southeastern Asian countries to secure its security on the west Pacific Ocean. And under “the Sino-American Defense Treaty,” Taiwan received the protection from the US.
In the wake of the end of the Cold War, the US’s former enemy, originally identifiable, now becomes pluralistic and vague. The Persian Gulf War symbolized a new page of regional war. The US attempts to build up a “New World Order.” The concept of the “Regional Conflict” replaces the ideology of the global war. In place of “Containment Strategy,” “Engagement Strategy” becomes a new conflict-preventive strategy through “Preventive Diplomacy” or “preventive Defense.” In the new international environment, the US makes every effort to keep peace between the Taiwan Straits, by enhancing the relationship with the PRC on the one hand, and by helping Taiwan with the annual arms sales on the other. Nevertheless, the model is being challenged by the changing international environment. Therefore, how the US adapts its military strategy to meet the new changes will have profound influence on the national security and development of Republic of China.
|
|---|
