The United States and China in Power Transition - Strategic Studies ...

The U.S. second take on the Taiwan issue 5 years
later was an uneasy one. At that time, U.S. war-time
ally and long-time friend, Chiang Kai-shek, and his
Nationalist government had lost the Chinese Civil
War and retreated to Taiwan. The Communist leaders
were contemplating an invasion of the island to
finish this deadly quarrel. The Harry Truman administration
was convinced that Chiang and his party
were corrupt and had lost the mandate to rule China.
Based on assessments and recommendations from the
State and Defense departments and the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, although the United States would not like to see
the Chinese Nationalists and Taiwan fall into Communist
hands, it nevertheless would take a hands-off
approach on this issue (General MacArthur’s observation
notwithstanding). 63 On January 5, 1950, President
Truman issued a statement reiterating U.S. support
for the Cairo Declaration and made it clear that the
United States had no desire to get involved in China’s
internal conflict. 64
Many took President Truman’s statement as meaning
the United States would not prevent the Communists
from invading Taiwan. However, before the
mainland Chinese got ready to launch the attack, the
Korean War broke out. President Truman believed
that the attacks on Korea and China’s mounting pressure
on Taiwan were all part of the drives of Communism.
Thus, while preparing for a response to the Korean
situation, Truman also ordered the Seventh Fleet
to neutralize the Taiwan Strait. The President made
the following statement on June 27, 1950, 2 days after
the outbreak of the Korean War:
The attack upon Korea makes it plain beyond all doubt
that communism has passed beyond the use of sub-
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