THE THREE U.S.-CHINA COMMUNIQUES AND THE TAIWAN RELATIONS ACT

SHANGHAI, 1972

“THE U.S. SIDE DECLARED: THE U.S. ACKNOWLEDGES THAT ALL CHINESE ON EITHER SIDE OF THE TAIWAN STRAIT MAINTAIN THERE IS BUT ONE CHINA AND THAT TAIWAN IS A PART OF CHINA. THE U.S. GOVERNMENT DOES NOT CHALLENGE THIS POSITION. IT REAFFIRMS ITS INTEREST IN A PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF THE TAIWAN QUESTION BY THE CHINESE THEMSELVES. WITH THIS PROSPECT IN MIND, IT AFFIRMS THE ULTIMATE OBJECTIVE OF THE WITHDRAWAL OF ALL U.S. FORCES AND MILITARY INSTALLATIONS FROM TAIWAN….”

ON ESTABLISHING DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS, JANUARY 1, 1979

BOTH COUNTRIES AGREE THAT “NEITHER SHOULD SEEK HEGEMONY IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION OR IN ANY OTHER REGION OF THE WORLD AND EACH IS OPPOSED TO EFFORTS BY ANY OTHER COUNTRY OR GROUP OF COUNTRIES TO ESTABLISH SUCH HEGEMONY . . . .THE GOVERNMENT OF THE USA ACKNOWLEDGES THE CHINESE POSITION THAT THERE IS BUT ONE CHINA AND TAIWAN IS PART OF CHINA.”

COMMUNIQUE OF AUGUST 17, 1982

“THE U.S. GOVERNMENT ATTACHES GREAT IMPORTANCE TO ITS RELATIONS WITH CHINA, AND REITERATES THAT IT HAS NO INTENTION OF INFRINGING ON CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY AND TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY, OR INTERFERING IN CHINA’S INTERNAL AFFAIRS, OR PURSUING A POLICY OF ‘TWO CHINAS’ OR ‘ONE CHINA, ONE TAIWAN.’ . . . THE U.S. GOVERNMENT STATES THAT IT DOES NOT SEEK TO CARRY OUT A LONG-TERM POLICY OF ARMS SALES TO TAIWAN, THAT ITS ARMS SALES TO TAIWAN WILL NOT EXCEED, EITHER IN QUALITATIVE OR IN QUANTITATIVE TERMS, THE LEVEL OF THOSE SUPPLIES IN RECENT YEARS . . . , AND THAT IT INTENDS TO REDUCE GRADUALLY ITS SALES OF AMRS TO TAIWAN, LEADING OVER A PERIOD OF TIME TO A FINAL RESOLUTION.”

THE 1979 TAIWAN RELATIONS ACT

“…(3) TO MAKE CLEAR THAT THE U.S. DECISION TO ESTABLISH DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH THE PRC RESTS UPON THE EXPECTATION THAT THE FUTURE OF TAIWAN WILL BE DETERMINED BY PEACEFUL MEANS; (4) TO CONSIDER ANY EFFORT TO DETERMINE THE FUTURE OF TAIWAN BY OTHER THAN PEACEFUL MEANS, INCLUDING BY BOYCOTTS OR EMBARGOES, A THREAT TO THE PEACE AND SECURITY OF THE WESTERN PACIFIC AREA AND OF GRAVE CONCERN TO THE U.S.; (5) TO PROVIDE TAIWAN WITH ARMS OF A DEFENSIVE CHARACTER; AND (6) TO MAINTAIN THE CAPACITY OF THE U.S. TO RESIST ANY RESORT TO FORCE OR OTHER FORMS OF COERCION THAT WOULD JEOPARDIZE THE SECURITY, OR THE SOCIAL OR ECONOMICAL SYSTEM, OF THE PEOPLE OF TAIWAN.”