The reciprocal relationship between the United States and the People's Republic of China regarding Taiwan and arms sales.

摘要

The visit of U.S. President Richard Milhous Nixon to the People's Republic of China in 1972 solidified a growing diplomatic position in the context of a possible Sino-Soviet split. Following this historic visit the American-Chinese relationship has been one of careful, strategic, exasperating maneuvers. The best description of the US-Chinese relationship in regards to the Taiwan Question is "tit-for-tat." My main hypothesis is that arms sales by the U.S. government to the Taiwanese government will cause a reciprocal response, in terms of arms sales, from the Chinese government to an international pariah state. The results of my hypothesis are limited in terms of statistical significance but it does raise a valuable question that requires continued exploration.