Dean Acheson
7 interests in China
The Acheson Line
From Aleutians to Japan (Including the ryukyus and the Phillipines). EAST HAWAII AND AMERICA
Why was this special? = Doesn’t cover Korea or Taiwan (Weren’t important to the US)
How did the US see the USSR?
The USSR had intentions to expand →
The US saw the USSR as enemies as they wanted to expand and that the US were the only ones who had power to stop them
Douglas MacArthur
Important general in WWII → Considered that the Korean war was a test to the Americans (To see if they were reliable or not)
There were two African states that joined the Korean War legacy project
- South Africa
- Ethiopia
the 7th Fleet. Two purposes
Two purposes on deploying the 7th Fleet in Taiwan Strait:
→ To stop China from invading Taiwan
→ To neutralize the Taiwan Strait
Why did the US care about Taiwan that much?
Fear of the domination of communism
The Security Treaty
Between US and Japan signed in 1951
Reasons the US was still hostile to China after the Korean War
- Rise of the PRC → Rising power will be a challenger
- Spreading of communism in Asia (E.g. Laos)
- McCarthyism → famous for his anti-communism stance
Truman Doctrine 1947
Truman did not see Chiang Kai Shek as a good leader → Saw them as being very corrupt and inefficient and as an obstacle
Areas controlled by Chiang’s Forces 1950
- Taiwan Island,
- Penghu (More than 30 outlying islands controlled by China in 1950 including one in South China Sea Region)
- Kinmen (Quemoy)
- Matsu
- Chiang wanted to use the islands as stepping stones for the future invasion of the mainland
1st Taiwan Strait Crisis, Sep 1954-Jan 1955
- China started to shell Kinmen (More than 5000 hells were used)
- The KMT troops responded immediately and on 6 September, they began to bomb Dadang island
Major difficult in defending Kinmen → Too far from Taiwan
→ GAVE UP Da-chen islands as wanted to focus on the defense of kinmen and matsu
→ CIA report analyzed the main purpose of the communist was to test the waters → To see how the US would respond (if they did not react, communists might begin to occupy islands)
“The Mutual Defence Treaty”
- US Protected Taiwan
→ Chinese Government was very angry
US president Eisenhower
→ KMT should withdraw from Dachen and the other off-shore islands EXCEPT Kinmen
→ US would help the withdrawal from Dachen and to defend Kinmen
→ Chiang counter proposed to maintain Matsu
Da Chen Islands Given up.
→ WHY did the US want this?
→ WHY didn’t Chiang want to give this up?
→ Too far to be protected
→ If he gives up Dachen, what will happen to the other outlying islands, he had a morale issue
Establishing the 500-mile Blockade
→ Proposed to Chiang, if he would withdraw from Jinmen and Mazu, the US would establish a 500-mile blockade of China’s coastal waters (until the communists renounced their intention to liberate Taiwan)
Finally, the Crisis was ended by China → In the Bandung conference (Shelling Ceased)
2nd Taiwan Strait Crisis 1958
→ Largest scale military conflict between the two sides after 1949
→ Main ideas = US showing China that they are powerful and that they will support Taiwan due to the defense treaty
3 C’s: Important for deterrence
- Communication
- Capability
- Credibility
Why couldn’t China get back Kinmen → 2 reasons
Reason 1 (China’s explanation): Intentionally didn’t get it back → If they took it back now would they maintain relationship with the Chiang’s regime
Reason 2 (Taiwan’s explanation): Because they have sent their best troops there (75,000 soldiers) to defend the island
