Is it in America's national interest to defend Taiwan, an island less than 100 miles off the eastern

coast of China?

Area American president of the last 75 years has had to face this question.

Each one has responded in slightly different way,

but the bottom line answer they have all given is,

maybe. Fortunately, this ambiguous commitment has never been

put to the ultimate test. But that test might not be far off. The Chinese Communist Party,

the CCP, believe that Taiwan belong to them and has made it very clear that it intends to take control of the island.

The Taiwanese, however, hold a different opinion. They want to determine their own destiny. Economically, they've done fine on their own. Despite a population of only 23 million people, Taiwan is now one of the world's leading economies.

With this strong industrial base, it is home to the world's most advanced maker of computer chips,

Taiwan Semiconductor. Apple, Lucky, and Google are clients.

It is also a well-functioning democracy.

China, which isn't a democracy, doesn't care. It wants Taiwan. Does it have a legitimate claim?

From time immemorial, the island was inhabited by indigenous people.

Beginning in the 16th century, the Portuguese, Dutch, and Spanish each

established a small colonial presence. So taken with the island's natural beauty, the Portuguese called it I-Hob

Formosa or beautiful island. In 6083, the armies of the Qing Empire, the ruling

Chinese dynasty at the time, island but they didn't do much with it.

Life went on as it always had. Then in 1895 Japan colonized Taiwan after defeating China in a bitter war.

On the mainland, the Nationalist Party overthrew the Qing Dynasty and established the

Republic of China, the ROC, in 1911.O.C. in 1911.

The R.C government took over control of Taiwan in 1945

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