Sino-American Interests over Taiwan

Abstract: The situation regarding Taiwan has been a long-standing and complex issue. Independence for Taiwan has long been a dream. However, China does not share the Taiwanese dream. China sees Taiwan as a province that has temporally broken away from the mainland; and frames the assimilation of Taiwan back into China as a matter of historical inevitability. America, on the other hand, is committed to maintaining the status quo in the region. This thesis explains and analyzes America’s and China’s interests over Taiwan and the underlying reasons for those interests. The hegemonic theory and the theory of neorealism are used to explain the state’s actions in the anarchic system. The result shows that both China and America have legitimate security interests over the island.