page_title: Taiwan–United States relations
section_title: Retreat to Taiwan
hierarchical_section_title: Taiwan–United States relations / History / Retreat to Taiwan
caption_attribution_description: English: President Eisenhower visits with Republic of China President Chiang Kai-shek and Madame Chiang in Taipei, Taiwan. June 1960. Also pictured is US Ambassador to Republic of China Everett Drumright
context_page_description: Taiwan–United States relations, also known as Taiwanese–American relations and historically Sino–American relations, refers to international relations between the Republic of China, commonly known as Taiwan, and the United States of America. The bilateral relationship between the two states is the subject of China–United States relations before the government led by the Kuomintang retreated to Taiwan and its neighboring islands as a result of the Chinese Civil War and until the U.S. ceased recognizing the ROC in 1979 as "China" and started referring to it as "Taiwan". Prior to relations with the ROC, the United States had diplomatic relations with the Qing dynasty beginning on June 16, 1844 until 1912.
  After the United States established diplomatic relations with the Beijing government, or People's Republic of China, under the Communist Party of China's rule as "China" in 1979, the Taiwan–United States relations became unofficial and informal. Until March 16, 2018 informal relations between the two states were governed by the U.S. Taiwan Relations Act, which allows the United States to have relations with the "people on Taiwan" and their government, whose name is not specified.
context_section_description: As the Korean War broke out, the Truman Administration resumed economic and military aid to the ROC on Taiwan and neutralized the Taiwan Strait by United States Seventh Fleet to stop a Communist invasion of Formosa (as well as a potential ROC counter-invasion of the mainland). US military presence in Taiwan consisted of the Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG) and the United States Taiwan Defense Command (USTDC). Other notable units included the 327th Air Division. Until the US formally recognized the People's Republic of China in 1979, Washington provided ROC with financial grants based on the Foreign Assistance Act, Mutual Security Act and Act for International Development enacted by the US Congress. A separate Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty was signed between the two governments of US and ROC in 1954 and lasted until 1979.
  The U.S. State Department's official position in 1959 was:
  That the provisional capital of the Republic of China has been at Taipei, Taiwan (Formosa) since December 1949; that the Government of the Republic of China exercises authority over the island; that the sovereignty of Formosa has not been transferred to China; and that Formosa is not a part of China as a country, at least not as yet, and not until and unless appropriate treaties are hereafter entered into. Formosa may be said to be a territory or an area occupied and administered by the Government of the Republic of China, but is not officially recognized as being a part of the Republic of China.
caption: Eisenhower, Soong Mei-ling, and Chinese president Chiang Kai-shek in Taiwan. 1960.
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