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Confounding expectations, Taiwan reduced its military spending for many years even as its sole adversary, the People's Republic of China, modernized its military and significantly increased its defense budget. Michael Chase examines the key factors that have shaped Taiwan's security policy over a span of three decades. Chase explores both the role of US security assurances in formulating Taiwan's defense policy and the profound influence that domestic politics has played. He also considers the context of cross-Strait relations and the implications of Taiwan's security choices for potential instability and conflict in the region and beyond. Relying on extensive Chinese-language sources and interviews, he offers the most definitive treatment of Taiwan's security policy to date

Given the importance of the Taiwan is- sue for U.S. foreign and security policy in East Asia, it is striking that relatively little has been written on Taiwan's de- fense reform and modernization programs, especially in contrast to the substantial amount of work scholars and policy analysts have produced in recent years on Chinese military mod- ernization and its implications for re- gional security. Bernard Cole's Taiwan's Security: History and Prospects, which provides a comprehensive and well written assessment of recent develop- ments in Taiwan's defense establish- ment, represents an important step in filling this gap.

This article examines the modernization of China's nuclear missile force and assesses the implications for the U.S.

No matter what assurances Washington provides, many in China are concerned that the United States is becoming increasingly uneasy about China's emergence and will try to prevent it. (Survival / SWP)

Despite the growing security threat posed by Chinese military modernization, Taiwan still has not completed the purchase of some of the key components of the arms sales package the United States approved in April 2001. The reasons include overconfidence in U.S. security assurances, underestimation of Chinese capabilities and resolve, and highly divisive domestic Taiwanese politics.

Despite the growing security threat posed by Chinese military modernization, Taiwan still has not completed the purchase of some of the key components of the arms sales package the United States approved in April 2001. The reasons include overconfidence in U.S. security assurances, underestimation of Chinese capabilities and resolve, and highly divisive domestic Taiwanese politics.

Taiwan has made some advances in implementing its defense reforms, but formidable obstacles to further progress still loom. Although the United States plays a crucial supporting role, it is Taiwan itself that must deal with its internal political and bureaucratic problems, which constitute the greatest impediments to reform.