Third Taiwan Strait Crisis

Overview

The Third Taiwan Strait Crisis, also called the 1995–1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis, or the 1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis, was the effect of a series of missile tests conducted by the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the waters surrounding Taiwan, including the Taiwan Strait, from 21 July 1995 to 23 March 1996. The first set of missiles fired in mid-to-late 1995 was allegedly intended to send a strong signal to the Republic of China government (ROC) under President Lee Teng-hui, who had been seen as "moving its foreign policy away from the One-China policy", as claimed by the PRC. The second set of missiles was fired in early 1996, allegedly intending to intimidate the Taiwanese electorate in the run-up to the 1996 presidential election.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Third Taiwan Strait Crisis consisted of a series of People's Republic of China missile tests conducted in waters surrounding Taiwan, including the Taiwan Strait, from July 1995 through March 1996. The PRC framed the first phase of tests as a signal directed at the ROC government under President Lee Teng-hui, whom Beijing accused of moving Taiwan's foreign policy away from the One-China policy. The second phase coincided with Taiwan's 1996 presidential election, with the missile firings allegedly intended to intimidate the Taiwanese electorate ahead of the vote. The crisis engaged senior military and civilian leadership on both sides, as well as U.S. commanders including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and Pacific Fleet officers, reflecting the extent to which the confrontation drew in American strategic interests alongside the direct cross-strait dimension. The episode tested the limits of PRC coercive pressure and the resilience of Taiwan's democratic process within the unresolved framework of the Chinese Civil War's political legacy.

Commanders (19)