Taiwan’s Role in the Breakout of the Taiwan Strait Crises: A Historical Perspective

There have been three serious crises in Taiwan: the first Taiwan Strait Crises in 1954-1955, the second in 1958 and the third in 1995-1996. It is well known that each Taiwan Strait Crises was, in essence, a domestic crisis occurring against a complicated international background. This paper examines the implications of the rule of Chiang Kai-shek and his son Chiang Ching-kuo in Taiwan (1950-1988) on the Taiwan Strait Crises, especially the third crises after the Cold War and the potential of future crises.