On December 17, 1978, President Jimmy Carter, accompanied by his wife, Rosalynn, braved a cold wind as they walked to the White House from Camp David. On this historic day, President Carter made a groundbreaking announcement that the United States would formally recognize the communist People’s Republic of China, leading to the severance of diplomatic relations with Taiwan. The effective date of this monumental change was set for January 1, 1979.

The decision to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan, as insisted upon by China, stirred controversy, particularly among Republicans in Congress. Responding to the developments, lawmakers passed the Taiwan Relations Act in April 1979. This act granted Taiwan nearly the same status as any other nation recognized by the United States, ensuring that arms sales to the Nationalist government would continue. The act also outlined the establishment of the American Institute in Taiwan, an “unofficial” representative, to serve U.S. interests in place of the U.S. Embassy.

Challenges to President Carter’s authority to cancel a treaty without Senate approval emerged among GOP lawmakers. The matter reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which ultimately dismissed the challenge, reinforcing Carter’s stance on the diplomatic shift.

The historical context leading to Carter’s decision traced back to Mao Zedong’s successful revolution in China in 1949. The United States, refusing to recognize the new communist regime, continued to support the Nationalist Chinese government on Taiwan. However, by the 1970s, evolving circumstances prompted a shift in U.S. policy. Closer relations with Beijing became attractive for economic and political reasons. Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford had already signaled this change by visiting the People’s Republic.

President Carter strategically employed the “China card” to influence Moscow on various issues, including arms control. The desire for increased trade and technology exchange also motivated the Chinese leadership to seek normalized relations with the United States. Despite approving arms sales to Taiwan, the Chinese government looked forward to potential economic benefits and anticipated a military confrontation with Vietnam, its former ally.

In 2016, the Republican National Convention affirmed their commitment to the Taiwan Relations Act and the six assurances given to Taiwan in 1982 by President Ronald Reagan. The principle of resolving issues regarding Taiwan’s future peacefully and through dialogue remains a cornerstone, with a commitment to assist Taiwan in self-defense should China violate these principles, in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act.

ord with the Taiwan Relations Act, will help Taiwan defend itself … “