CROSS-STRAIT TIMELINE 1950 - 1979
	CHINA	ROC	US	OTHER
Jan 1950		Chiang Kai-Shek activates Martial Law by Emergency Decree (Martial Law is declared in Taiwan in 1949, and it is activated in 1950 to1987)
09 Feb 1950			U.S. Congress Hearings onFormosa
25 Jun 1950 to 27 Jul 1953				Korean War
27 Jun 1950			Truman orders 7th Fleet to Taiwan Strait
28 Jun 1950	Zhou Enlai Statement on Truman Statement
15 Aug 1951	Zhou Enlai Statement on US Proposal ofJapan PeaceTreaty
08 Sep 1951		Peace Treaty with Japan (signed)
28 Apr 1952		Peace Treaty with Japan (entry into force)
1954	First Taiwan Straits Crisis	First Taiwan Straits Crisis	First Taiwan Straits Crisis
26 Apr-20 Jul 1954	Delegates from around the world meet to resolve Korean and Indochina Wars. Premier Zhou Enlai attempts to shake hands with Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, who ignores Zhou. PRC and U.S. Ambassadors in Geneva start a long-standing tradition of holding infrequent but highly formalized talks		Delegates from around the world meet to resolve Korean and Indochina Wars. Premier e Zhou Enlai attempts to shake hands with Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, who ignores Zhou. U.S. and PRC Ambassadors in Geneva start a long-standing tradition of holding infrequent but highly formalized talks
22 Aug 1954	Democratic groups on the mainland announce the “Joint Declaration for Liberating Taiwan”, stating Taiwan is part of the mainland’s territory and the Chinese people must liberate Taiwan
01 Dec 1954		ROC-U.S. Joint Statement	ROC-U.S. Joint Statement
02 Dec 1954		ROC-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT)	U.S.-ROC Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT)
08 Dec 1954	PRC Minister of Foreign Affairs Zhou Enlai calls the U.S.-ROC “Mutual Defense Treaty” a downright aggressive treaty of war
10 Jan 1955	PRC Air Force raids the nationalist-controlled Tachen Islands and seize Ichiang Island
21 Jan 1955			President Eisenhower meets with Sec of State Dulles and Sec of Defense Wilson to discuss a resolution that would authorize the U.S. defense of Taiwan and the Pescadores
28 Jan 1955			Congress passes Formosa Resolution
08 Feb 1955			U.S. Senate Report on Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT)
16 Mar 1955			President Eisenhower announces that the US would use atomic weapons in the event of war with Communist China
30 Jul 1955	Zhou Enlai, PRC Premier, presents a report to the second conference of the first National People's Congress, saying, "There are two possible ways for liberating Taiwan -- one is by war, and the other is by peaceful means. The Chinese people prefer using the peaceful means if the situation permits."
1958	PRC and U.S. Ambassadors tradition of holding infrequent but highly formalized talks shifts locations to Warsaw		U.S. and PRC Ambassadors tradition of holding infrequent but highly formalized talks shifts locations to Warsaw
23 Aug 1958	Second Taiwan Strait Crisis PRC shelling of Nationalists outposts in Kinmen (Quemoy) and Matzu begins; The United States intervenes by sending ships into the Taiwan Strait)	Second Taiwan Strait Crisis PRC shelling of Nationalists outposts in Kinmen(Quemoy) and Matzu begins; The United States intervenes by sending ships into the Taiwan Strait)	Second Taiwan Strait Crisis PRC shelling of Nationalists outposts in Kinmen (Quemoy) and Matzu begins; The United States intervenes by sending ships into the Taiwan Strait)
04 Sep 1958	PRC Declaration of territorial seas		Secretary of State Dulles statement
23 Oct 1958			U.S.-ROC Joint Communiqué
25 Oct 1958	Peng Dehuai statement on Taiwan Compatriots
22 Dec 1958			Maurer legal opinion on status of Formosa
03 Mar 1959	Mao Interview: On the U.S. and Taiwan
19 Jan 1960			U.S.-Japan Mutual Defense Treaty  (MDT)	Japan-U.S. Security Treaty
June 1960		President Eisenhower becomes the first U.S. head of state to pay an official visit to the Nationalist Government when he meets with Jiang Jieshi in Taiwan.	President Eisenhower becomes the first U.S. head of state to pay an official visit to the Nationalist Government when he meets with Jiang Jieshi in Taiwan.
1963			Kennedy Administration considers opening ties with the PRC
13 Dec 1963			Assistant Secretary of State Roger Hilsman hints at opening ties with the PRC public speech; (no actions are taken)
1964			Escalation of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War (Tonkin Gulf Incident)
16 Oct 1964	China conducts nuclear test
1965		After 15 years of economic support, the U.S. halts aid to Taiwan in recognition of “growth and stability” of the Taiwanese economy	After 15 years of economic support, the U.S. halts aid to Taiwan in recognition of “growth and stability” of the Taiwanese economy
1966	Start of the Chinese Cultural Revolution (1966-1976)
18 Mar 1969			U.S. bombs Cambodia for the first time
25 Jul 1969			Announcement of the Nixon Doctrine (Nixon states his intent “to reduce U.S. military commitments in Asia and to reconsider the current policy of containment for the PRC” (Examples of reduced military commitments include the cessation of U.S. naval patrols in the Taiwan Strait)
10 Dec 1970	PRC and U.S. ambassadors restart talks in Warsaw (talks were on hiatus due to the Cultural Revolution but quickly were suspended due to U.S. bombing of Cambodia)		U.S. and PRC ambassadors restart talks in Warsaw (talks were on hiatus due to the Cultural Revolution but quickly were suspended due to U.S. bombing of Cambodia)
1971	Start of Ping-pong diplomacy between the PRC and the U.S.		Start of Ping-pong diplomacy between the U.S. and the PRC
28 Apr 1971			State Dept on the status of Taiwan
30 Apr 1971		ROC ForeignMinistry statement on the State Department's statement on the status of Taiwan
09 Jul 1971			National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger makes a secret visit to China to meet with Zhou Enlai and other Chinese leaders
Oct 1971	PRC assumes UN seat per UN Res. 2758	UN and IAEA per UN Res 2758 expel Taiwan	Kissinger makes a second visit to PRC to make preparations for President Nixon’s visit.  These trips mark the reopening of direct ties between Washington and Beijing, after 20 years of non-recognition
21-27 Feb 1972	Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai meet with Nixon, Kissinger and other U.S. officials. The two sides issue the Shanghai Communique Five Points		Nixon visits China; Nixon, Kissinger and other U.S. officials meet with Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai. At the end of the week long visit, the two sides issue the Shanghai Communique Five Points
27 Feb 1972	Shanghai Communiqué Joint Statement Following Discussions with Leaders of the People's Republic of China		Shanghai Communiqué Joint Statement Following Discussions with Leaders of the People's Republic of China
13 Jun 1972			U.S. and Russia sign the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems (ABM Treaty	U.S. and Russia sign the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems (ABM Treaty
1973	The PRC government opens a liaison office in Washington, D.C.	The U.S. government maintains its Embassy in Taiwan	The U.S. government opens a liaison office in Beijing
Oct 1973-March 1974				Middle East Oil Embargo
12 Nov 1973	Mao on the use of force
1974	Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai both experience declines in their health. Zhou rehabilitates Deng Xiaoping (purged in 1966).  These leadership issues delay the PRC-U.S. normalization process.		President Nixon resigns from office due to the emerging Watergate scandal. This leadership change delays the U.S.-PRC normalization process.
12 Aug 1974			Ford's statement on Communiqué
01-05 Dec 1975	President Ford visits China. No progress is made on the normalization process.		President Ford visits China. No progress is made on the normalization process.
05 Apr 1975		Chiang Kai-shek dies
Jan 1976	Zhou Enlai dies; Deng Xiaoping is purged again
09 Sep 1976	Mao Zedong dies
Jan 1977			Jimmy Carter assumes the office of the president
1977			Jimmy Carter sends Secretary of State Cyrus Vance to the PRC to restart the negotiations (this effort fails)
22 Jul 1977	Deng Xiaoping returns to power and emerges as the paramount leader of China.
19 Nov 1977		Chungli riot about voting irregularities
Summer 1978			President Carter dispatches National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski to China to meet with Deng Xiaoping
May 1978		Chiang Ching-kuo is sworn in as President of Taiwan
16 Dec 1978	The PRC and the U.S. reach an agreement and issue a joint communiqué that establishes full diplomatic relations.		The U.S. and the PRC reach an agreement and issue a joint communiqué that establishes full diplomatic relations. Carter announces recognition of PRC
18-22 Dec 1978	11th  Central Committee of the Communist Party of China held its third plenary session. It shifts the focus of the Party to economic reconstruction. With shift, came expectation Taiwan would help rejuvenate the Motherland
1979		U.S. terminates the U.S.-ROC Mutual Defense Treaty  (MDT)	U.S. terminates the U.S.-ROC Mutual Defense Treaty  (MDT)
01 Jan 1979	Message to compatriots in Taiwan (Taiwan views as United Front tactic); Shelling of Kinmen stops: Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the PRC and the U.S.		Second U.S.-PRC. Communiqué
03 Jan 1979			President Carter issues memorandum to U.S. agencies, setting the terms for continued U.S.-Taiwan relations “unofficial” basis
29 Jan-4 Feb 1979	Deng Xiaoping, Vice-Premier of the State Council of the PRC, pays an official visit to the United States		Deng Xiaoping, Vice-Premier of the State Council of the PRC, pays an official visit to the United States
01 Mar 1979	U.S. and PRC formally establish diplomatic ties as the U.S. Embassy in R.O.C. officially closes	U.S. and PRC formally establish diplomatic ties as the U.S. Embassy in R.O.C. officially closes	U.S. and PRC formally establish diplomatic ties as the U.S. Embassy in R.O.C. officially closes
04 Apr 1979		Chiang Ching Kuo introduces the “Three Noes": No Contact,No Negotiations, No Compromise
10 Apr 1979			Public Law 96-8 (Taiwan Relations Act); codifies in public law the basis for continued U.S.-Taiwan relations
10 Dec 1979		Kaohsiung Incident