The "One China" policy has always been an ambiguous frame work in which America acknowledges that China believes Taiwan is part of China and that Taiwan agrees that Taiwan is part of China. It ignores that Taiwan believes that the mainland China government is a insurrectionist group and not legitimate---and that China see's Taiwan as a breakaway insurrectionist region of the legitimate mainland government of China. The reality is neither is correct. China is a new independent nation formed via revolution in 1949---and Taiwan represents the independent "old" China territory that "New China" was never able to capture or defeat. Its the independent remains of old China. Taiwan is essentially like any other nation that fights a war and loses territory---but is never completely defeated.

The basic framework of the "One China Policy" agreement between the US and China---is based on this ambiguous recognition by the US that there is just one China in exchange for the promise that China would only seek to reunite the two territories through peaceful means. As part of the agreement, the US has maintained from the start of this agreement that Taiwan has the right of self defense and that the US would aid Taiwan in its ability to defend itself.

Here is my question----given that China has openly stated as a matter of national policy that it is now willing to use military force to return Taiwan to Chinese mainland control----does the "One China Policy" between the US and China really even exist any longer? Yes, its true the Chinese have taken no action to actually force Taiwan to submit---but China has essentially publicly changed the official policy that reflected their half of the agreement that makes the "One China Policy" a compromise the US was willing to agree to.

Only if China tells us it does.

It does until China thinks they can get away with a military take over.