In March 1996, U.S. President Bill Clinton ordered two aircraft carrier battle groups into waters off Taiwan's southern coast.Prompted by Chinese threats against Taiwan before its first presidential election, Clinton's show of force insured that the poll took place as planned.It also infuriated Beijing, which regarded Taiwan then much as today as a renegade province awaiting reunification, by force if necessary.In addition to guaranteeing Taiwan's right of self-determination, U.S. actions marked a shift in relations with the island from a strategic alliance with the brutally autocratic Kuom…READ FULL ARTICLE
