| Third Taiwan Strait Crisis 台灣海峽飛彈危機 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of theChinese Civil War | |||||||
 Taiwan Strait | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Republic of China United States (naval support) |  People's Republic of China | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Lee Teng-huiLien ChanChiang Chung-lingTang FeiWu Shih-wenTang Yao-mingNelson KuHuang Hsien-jungWang Jo-yuBill ClintonJohn ShalikashviliArchie CleminsLyle Bien | Jiang ZeminLi PengLiu HuaqingZhang ZhenZhang LianzhongChi Haotian Zhang WannianFu Quanyou | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
| ROC Armed ForcesUnited States Navy | People's Liberation Army | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
MIM-104 Patriot,MIM-23 Hawk,F-5 Tiger,F-CK-1,F-104 Starfighter,Knox-class frigate,Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate, etc. USS Independence (CV-62),USS Nimitz (CVN-68),USS Belleau Wood (LHA-3),USS Bunker Hill (CG-52), etc. | DF-15,Chengdu J-7,Shenyang J-8, etc. | ||||||
TheThird Taiwan Strait Crisis, also called the1995–1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis, or the1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis, was the effect of a series of missile tests conducted by thePeople's Republic of China (PRC) in the waters surroundingTaiwan, including theTaiwan 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 theRepublic of China government (ROC) underPresidentLee Teng-hui, who had been seen as "moving its foreign policy away from theOne-China policy", as claimed by the PRC.[1] The second set of missiles was fired in early 1996, allegedly intending to intimidate the Taiwanese electorate in the run-up to the1996 presidential election.
The crisis began when PresidentLee Teng-hui accepted an invitation from hisalma mater,Cornell University, to deliver a speech on "Taiwan's Democratization Experience". Seeking to diplomatically isolate the Republic of China, the PRC opposed such visits by ROC (Taiwanese) leaders. A year earlier, in 1994, when President Lee's plane had stopped inHonolulu torefuel after a trip toSouth America, the U.S. government under PresidentBill Clinton refused Lee's request for a visa. Lee had been confined to the military airfield where he landed, forcing him to spend a night on his plane. A U.S. State Department official called the situation "embarrassing" and Lee complained that he was being treated as a second-class leader.
After Lee had decided to visit Cornell,U.S. Secretary of StateWarren Christopher assuredPRC Foreign MinisterQian Qichen that avisa for Lee would be "inconsistent with [the U.S.'s] unofficialrelationship [with Taiwan]." However, the humiliation from Lee's last visit caught the attention of many pro-Taiwan figures in the U.S. and this time, theUnited States Congress acted on Lee's behalf. The lobbying firmCassidy & Associates worked to obtain Congressional support for the visit.[2] In May 1995, aconcurrent resolution asking theState Department to allow Lee to visit the U.S. passed theHouse on 2 May with a vote of 396 to 0 (with 38 not voting), and theSenate on 9 May with a vote of 97 to 1 (with 2 not voting).[3] The State Department relented on 22 May 1995. Lee spent 9–10 June 1995 in the U.S. at a Cornell alumni reunion.[1]
The United States had not prepared thePeople's Republic of China for its policy reversal in granting a visa.[4]: 224 While in the United States, Lee stated, "Taiwan is a country with independent sovereignty.[5]: 11 PRC leadership described Lee's moves as an effort to "splitthe motherland".[6]
In July 1995,Xinhua News Agency announced missile tests would be conducted by thePeople's Liberation Army (PLA); later, it announced when the exercises finished.[7]: 145 The PRC mobilized forces inFujian. The PRC sent officials to bothWashington D.C. andTaipei to convey that the PRC did not intend to invade Taiwan.[7]: 145 According toSankei Shimbun series "Secret Records on Lee Teng-hui" dated 1 April 2019, Tseng Yong-hsien, Lee's National Policy Adviser, received a direct official message from China in early July 1995; "Ourballistic missiles will be launched toward Taiwan a couple of weeks later, but you guys don't have to worry." This was communicated to Lee soon after, to prevent escalation. Tseng, as an envoy of Lee, had met PresidentYang Shangkun in 1992 and had a secret connection withYe Xuanning, Head of the Liaison Department of the PLA.[8]
From 21 July to 28 July, theSecond Artillery Corps (SAC) conducted a round of missile launches in an area 36 miles north of Taiwan.[9]: 267 On 21 July, SAC launched twoDongfeng-15 missiles approximately 70 nautical miles from the coast of Taiwan.[9]: 267 On 22 July, SAC fired two missiles at an area 40 miles north of Taiwan.[9]: 267–268 On 24 July, it fired two more at the same area.[9]: 268 Simultaneously, the PRC concentrated naval andamphibious landing forces in the area of the strait and conducted military exercises.[9]: 268
The United States responded by sending two aircraftcarrier groups to the vicinity of Taiwan.[4]: 224 In July 1995,USSBelleau Wood (LHA-3) transited the Taiwan Strait.[10]
From 15 August to 25 August, theEast Sea Fleet deployed 59 naval vessels for exercises, during which thePeople's Liberation Army Air Force practiced 192 sorties.[9]: 268 Naval exercises continued in September and October.[7]: 145 In November, the PLA conducted a major amphibious landing exercise in theNanjing Military Region.[7]: 145
The United States sent theUSS O'Brien (DD-975) andUSS McClusky (FFG-41) through the strait on 11–12 December 1995.[10] Finally, on 19 December 1995, theUSSNimitz (CVN-68) and herbattle group passed through the straits.[10]
Between January and February 1996, the PRC concentrated 100,000 troops along the strait and conducted large-scale exercises.[9]: 268 Tensions remained high in early 1996 as Taiwan prepared for itsfirst presidential election and Lee Teng-hui ran on theKuomintang's ticket.[9]: 268
On 8 March, the PRC fired more missiles 20 miles offKeelung and 29 miles offKaohsiung.[9]: 268 Over 70 percent of commercial shipping passed through the targeted ports, which were disrupted by the proximity of the tests.[11][12] The PRC also conducted a launch on 11 March.[7]: 146
On 10 March, the United States announced that it was dispatching theUSS Independence toward the strait.[7]: 146 According toThe Washington Post, that same day, theUSSBunker Hill CG-52 (which had detached from theIndependence Battlegroup), along with anRC-135 Intelligence aircraft, monitored the launch of 3CSS-6 (DF-15) missiles from the PRC, two of them into shipping lanes near Kaohsiung and one fired directly over Taipei into a shipping lane near Keelung.[13]
On the following day, the PRC announcedlive-fire exercises to be conducted nearPenghu from 12 to 20 March. On 11 March, the U.S. dispatched USSNimitz CVN-68 and her battlegroup,Carrier Group Seven.[14][9]: 268 Nimitz and her battle group, along withBelleau Wood, sailed through theTaiwan Strait, whileIndependence did not.[15][16] The PRC 12 March to 20 March exercises proceeded[7]: 146 and in response to the U.S. moves, the PRC announced further exercises.[9]: 268
From 18 March to 25 March, the PRC conducted military exercises involving airplanes, guided missile destroyers,submarines, and 150,000 troops atPingtan Island.[9]: 268–269 The exercises practiced amphibious landing, mountainous assaults, and included paratrooper exercises.[9]: 269
Shipping and insurance rates for freight to Taiwan radically increased during the crisis and two of the Chinese missile launches twice closed the straits to all sea and airborne commerce.[5]: 19
The crisis boosted Lee by 5% in the polls, earning him a majority as opposed to a plurality.[2] On March 23, 1996, Lee was elected Taiwan's president.[9]: 269
The PLA viewed the 1995 military exercises as successful.[7]: 147 Zhang Wannian stated, "First, they showed the strong resolve of the PLA in protecting national unity; second, they served as a warning to the outside intervening powers; third, they also provided encouragement for the people on Taiwan who supported peaceful reunification of the island."[7]: 147 Fu Quanyou reported toCentral Military Commission that the 1995 exercises were "all extremely successful: they attacked the power of the 'Taiwan separatists' represented by Lee Teng-hui, warned the United States as the main outside intervening power, and they were forcefully accompanied by political and diplomatic struggles and were highly praised by the Politburo and the CMC."[7]: 147
The PLA believed that it lacked sufficient leverage in comparison to the United States.[7]: 147 Jiang ordered the PLA to begin a ten-year modernization program.[4]: 225 Soon, the People's Republic orderedSovremenny-class destroyers from Russia, aCold War-era class designed to counter U.S. Navycarrier battle groups, allegedly in mid-December 1996 during the visit to Moscow by Chinese PremierLi Peng. The PRC subsequently ordered modern attack submarines (Kilo class) and warplanes (76Su-30MKK and 24Su-30MK2) to counter the U.S. Navy's carrier groups.[citation needed]
The military tests and exercises also strengthened the argument for furtherU.S. arms sales to the ROC and led to the strengthening ofmilitary ties between the U.S. and Japan, increasing the role Japan would play in defending Taiwan.
During the military exercises in March, concerns arose in Taiwan that the PRC would occupy some small islands controlled by Taiwan, causing panic among many citizens. Therefore, many flights from Taiwan to the United States and Canada were full.[citation needed] The most likely target wasWuqiu (Wuchiu), then garrisoned by 500 soldiers. The outlying islands were placed on high alert.[17] The then Secretary General of theNational Security Council of Taiwan,Ting Mao-shih, flew to New York to meetSamuel Berger,Deputy National Security Advisor of the United States.[18]
In 1999,Major GeneralLiu Liankun, a top Chinese military logistics officer, and his subordinateSenior Colonel Shao Zhengzhong were arrested,court-martialed andexecuted for disclosing to Taiwan that the missiles had unarmed warheads despite the Chinese government's claims.[19]
_underway_at_sea_on_10_March_1996.jpeg)
The most likely target would be Wuchiu, above five miles off the eastern coast of China, the report said. The island has a garrison of 500 soldiers. To prepare for an attack, outlying islands have been placed on high alert, it said.
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