On February 28, we celebrate the 45th anniversary of the Shanghai Communique. The 1972 agreement, brokered by Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai, ended 23 years of diplomatic estrangement between the United States and China, and laid the foundation for a peaceful and prosperous Asia. The Vietnam War was still raging when the Communique was signed but there has been no major war in the Asia-Pacific since that time. The Communique was based on America's acknowledgement that Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait agree there is one China, that Taiwan is a part of China, and that the United States does not challenge that position.
This diplomatic triumph was one of the great American successes of the past century. It has fostered peace in the Taiwan Strait and enabled Taiwan to evolve from an authoritarian state to a vibrant democracy. It has allowed cross-Strait social, economic, and cultural relations to flourish and bring real benefits to people in China and Taiwan, at no cost to the United States.
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