Factor Israel Taiwan U.S. diplomatic recognition Fully recognized as a state; U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv Not officially recognized; no U.S. embassy; unofficial relations only Formal alliance Official ally; mutual defense treaty since 1952 De facto ally; no formal treaty; “One China” policy complicates status Aid category Foreign Military Financing (FMF) grants (free weapons) ForeignContinue reading “The U.S. Allies”
Tag Archives: russia
Taiwan Defense Spending
Why the U.S. Controls the Timeline Taiwan must pay for its U.S. arms purchases from its own defense budget Factor Why It Works This Way U.S. production schedules The U.S. defense contractors have fixed production lines and can only make so many weapons per year; they allocate slots to different countries Congressional approval U.S. CongressContinue reading “Taiwan Defense Spending”
Cold War (from 1947 to 1991 roughly 44 years)
The term “Cold War” is a contrast to “hot war”: Type Meaning Hot War Direct military combat between nations; actual shooting and fighting Cold War Tension, rivalry, and conflict without direct military combat between the two superpowers The U.S. and Soviet Union never directly fought each other militarily. Instead, they competed through: The conflict wasContinue reading “Cold War (from 1947 to 1991 roughly 44 years)”
Controversies of China’s permanent veto seat in the UN
The Situation from 1949 to 1971 Year Who held the UN seat Who controlled mainland China Situation 1945-1949 Republic of China (ROC/Nationalist) ROC controlled mainland Normal situation 1949-1971 Republic of China (ROC/Nationalist) People’s Republic of China (Communist) Mismatch: The seat holder didn’t control the territory it claimed to represent 1971 onward People’s Republic of ChinaContinue reading “Controversies of China’s permanent veto seat in the UN”
Meandering leads to perfection 