The Taiwan crisis was a turning point for China just as it was for the US. For decades, American presidents had soothed China’s leaders with the promise that Taiwan would be theirs. But when Beijing tried to intimidate the island, the United States had not only failed to step aside, it had dispatched the Seventh Fleet. Under orders from President Jiang Zemin, China shifted resources toward its navy, air force, and rocket forces, focusing almost exclusively on a potential war with America over Taiwan.
