The Interagency Process Behind US Policy on Taiwan
Abstract : How the US government interacts with Taiwan on economic, political, and security issues has long been a mystery to me. The US does not maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan, which is a breakaway province of China, and the unresolved status of Taiwan is the main challenge to US relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC). This paper will endeavor to shed light on how the current interagency process on US-Taiwan relations came into being since the US, under the Nixon Administration, began normalizing relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC). It will examine the bilateral documents and US laws that are the foundation of US-Taiwan relations, focusing on the roles played by the people, organizations, and processes that formulate and implement US policy regarding Taiwan. US arms sales to Taiwan are now at an all time high, will illustrate the complexities of this interagency process.
A Tale of One China: How and Why Has the Efficacy of United States Arms Sales to Taiwan Changed Since 1990
Abstract : This study analyzes the changes in United States security assistance to Taiwan from 1990 to 2016. The author evaluates congressional notifications of major arms sales to Taiwan in terms of their impact on US-Peoples Republic of China (PRC) relations and on Taiwans defensive capabilities. These two variables correlate directly to United States China policy goals, which strive to balance positive relations with the PRC with preventing unilateral changes to the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. By analyzing seven major arms sales notifications, the study determines that both the quantity and quality of US security assistance to Taiwan have declined in recent years. The report traces these declines to decreased US leverage over the PRC on trade and technology transfers, increased PRC economic and military power, and the impact of two American security assistance policy changes. Finally, the study proposes recommendations for future security assistance to Taiwan and a more transactional approach to US-PRC relations.
Social Health Insurance Reforms—Mid-Term Experiences of Poland and Russia
As a result of transition process to market economy, Poland and Russia have come a long way from a centrally planned budget for social security to an insurance-type model in the social sphere. After more than two decades of reforms, it seems essential to compare and evaluate the policy solutions introduced in terms of the reform goals achieved and exposure to current challenges. The paper presents an analysis and comparison of social health insurance reforms conducted in Poland and Russia since the beginning of the 1990s. Moreover, the current problems of and future challenges for health care financing systems are identified. The varied experiences of Poland and Russia over more than 20 years show mid-term lessons which could be useful to other countries, especially those that face socio-economic transformation, in their choice of strategy and the practice of similar reforms.