US-China and a New Taiwan Crisis: Deciphering Dimensions of Power Politics in the Pacific Ocean

Abstract

Applying the Regional Security Complex as a yardstick for state’s power projection, this research identifies complexities and actor preferences in the new and escalatory dimension to the US-China competition in the Taiwan Strait. China’s insistence that Taiwan's position as an extension of sovereign territory of its mainland is further complicated by introduction of American assistance offered to Taiwan. Even though the US still recognizes the One China Policy, newly legislated assistance programs indicate a deviation from this stance by American strategists and political stakeholders. Beyond the Taiwan Relations Act, 1979 the US has recently introduced the Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act within its Taiwan Policy Act, 2022 that offers comprehensive and direct military assistance to Taipei. This research develops an assessment paradigm on these policies adopted by the US and a possible retaliatory response from Beijing in calibrating how future of this crisis will manifest. This research also theorizes that by opting for a dual policy parameter, the US not only complicates the issue but also promotes an escalatory trend in the region which brings both the US and China closer to a direct confrontation since the Korean War. The research concludes that by opting for risk-intensive and escalation-oriented strategies, the Taiwan Crisis not only becomes a flashpoint for an intense friction among US and China but also encourages a domino effect of insecurity and realignment in the region.