US considered nuclear strike on China in 1958 over Taiwan, classified documents reveal

American military planners pushed for nuclear strikes on mainland China in 1958 to protect Taiwan from invasion from the communist forces, classified documents shared online by Daniel Ellsberg reveal. During the 1958 Taiwan Strait crisis, the People’s Republic of China bombarded several key areas in Taiwan (Republic of China) to “liberate” the island from Kuomintang (KMT). The US actively participated in the conflict by deploying air and naval troops to support Taiwan.

Soviet support to China 

Now, in the freshly released documents, it has been revealed that the Americans also assumed the possibility of a nuclear attack by the Soviet Union in support of China. However, they were ready to “pay the price” to protect the sovereignty of Taiwan, the documents first made public by New York Times stated. It is imperative to note that a classified portion of the documents was first shared online by Ellsberg, a retired military analyst, famous for publishing Pentagon Papers in 1971.

Speaking to The Times about the same, Ellsberg said that he copied the top-secret Taiwan crisis study in the early 1970s, and is releasing it as tensions mount between the United States and China over Taiwan. Had a Chinese invasion taken place, General Nathan Twining, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the time, "made it clear that the United States would have used nuclear weapons against Chinese airbases to prevent a successful air interdiction campaign," the document's authors wrote. While the then US President Dwight D. Eisenhower, decided to rely initially on conventional weapons, military planners did weigh nuclear strike as a possible option if invasion.

At present, Beijing continues to coerce Taipei into accepting its ‘One China’ policy along with the “1992 consensus” asserting that it was the only way to better cross straight relationship. While Taiwan has long been demanding autonomy, China claims sovereignty over the island asserting it to be a “sacred and inseparable” part of the country’s territory.  Meanwhile, the US stands strong on its stance and maintains diplomatic and military relations with Taipai. 

IMAGE: Outrider Foundation