This volume consists of an
introduction and eleven essays on the
military confrontation in the Taiwan Strait in 1996. The
essays discuss the historical roots of the crisis, Chinese
military objectives, the military balance between the mainland and Taiwan, the positions taken by other regional powers, and policies that might avert future crises.
James R. Lilley is a resident fellow at AEI. He served as U.S. ambassador to the People's Republic of China from 1989 to 1991 and as assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs from 1991 to 1993. Chuck Downs is deputy director for East Asian and Pacific affairs in the Department of Defense. This summary is drawn from their
introduction.
Democracy by Decree