1996: The Crisis That Shaped Everything That Came After

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In March 1996, the People’s Liberation Army conducted missile tests that bracketed Taiwan, splashing ballistic missiles into the sea north and south of the island in a demonstration designed to intimidate Taiwanese voters ahead of the island’s first direct presidential election. The Clinton administration responded by deploying two carrier battle groups to the region — the USS Independence and the USS Nimitz — in the largest American naval deployment in Asia since the Vietnam War. China backed down. The crisis ended without direct military confrontation. Its consequences have structured the strategic competition in the strait for the thirty years since.

PLA Missiles on Taiwan Strait

1996: The Crisis That Shaped Everything That Came After