(2012-0975-F) Taiwan Straits

28 folders, approximately 2,359 pages

This collection consists of records related to Chinese missile test firings in the Taiwan Straits by the People's Republic of China in 1995 and 1996. The collection contains memorandums between members of the National Security Council staff, policy papers, and National Security Council cables and emails.

The materials in FOIA 2012-0975-F are a selective body of documents responsive to the topic of the FOIA. Researchers should consult the archivist about related material. On May 22, 1995, the United States granted a visa application to Taiwan’s Premier Lee Teng-hui so that he could attend an event at Cornell University. The Clinton Administration was at first reluctant to grant the visa application due to the United States’ long standing “One-China” policy. However, after the House had voted 396 to 0 and the Senate voted 97 to 1 on a concurrent resolution directing the State Department to reconsider Premier Lee’s request, the State Department relented and Mr. Lee’s visa was granted. In response, the People’s Republic of China (PRC), conducted a series of missile test firings near the island of Pengchiayu in August of 1995. These missile test firings were followed by further naval exercises and more missile tests over the next year. By 1997 tensions in the Taiwan Strait had abated, and in the fall of 1997 Chinese President Jiang Zemin visited the United States and agreed to high level discussions between the PRC and Taiwan over a host of issues. Records responsive to this FOIA include memoranda between National Security Council staff, reports, and emails concerning Premier Lee’s visit to the United States, and cables concerning trade and other economic matters with Taiwan. The majority of the records related to this FOIA case are closed for national security reasons.

Textual

Records that are responsive to this FOIA request were found in these collection areas— Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files, Clinton Presidential Records: ARMS Emails, and Clinton Presidential Records: NSC Cable, Email, and Records Management Systems. Staff and Office files were maintained at the folder level by staff members within their individual offices and document all levels of administration activity. The Automated Records Management System (ARMS) is a database that contains email records of the Executive Office of the President. This system maintained unclassified Presidential email. The ARMS database is comprised of six sub-series of email records called "buckets." The buckets generally represent a specific White House office. The buckets are titled: NPR for National Performance Review, OPD for Office of Policy Development, POTUS for President of the United States, WHO for White House Office, CEA for Council of Economic Advisers, and Default for emails not associated with an office. ARMS emails are arranged by topic, there-under by bucket, and there-under chronologically by creation date.

Collection is open to all researchers. Access to Clinton Presidential Records is governed by the Presidential Records Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. Chapter 22, as amended) and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552, as amended) and therefore records may be restricted in whole or in part in accordance with legal exemptions.

Official records of William Jefferson Clinton’s presidency are housed at the Clinton Presidential Library and administered by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) under the provisions of the Presidential Records Act (PRA).

Staff Archivist, 2016. Previously restricted materials are added as they are released.

The following is a list of documents and folders processed in response to FOIA 2012-0975-F:
Box 1
Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files
National Security Council
Asian Affairs
Kristoff, Sandra
South China Sea, 1995 [OA/ID 1041]
Taiwan [1] [OA/ID 1041]
Taiwan [2] [OA/ID 1041]
Taiwan [3] [OA/ID 1041]
Taiwan [4] [OA/ID 1041]
Taiwan [5] [OA/ID 1041]
Suettinger, Robert
Lee [Lee Teng-hui] Visit [OA/ID 1044]
Missiles [OA/ID 1044]
Box 2
(PRC) [People’s Republic of China] – U.S. – Taiwan Issues [OA/ID 1044]
Spratlys [OA/ID 1044]
Taiwan – People’s Republic of China (PRC) Military [OA/ID 1044]
U.S. – PRC [People’s Republic of China] Downturn [OA/ID 1044]
Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files (continued)
National Security Council
Office of Press and Communication
Crowley, Philip J. (PJ)
China / Taiwan [1] [OA/ID 4153]
China / Taiwan [2] [OA/ID 4153]
Transnational Threats
Eddy, Randolph
China – Taiwan [OA/ID 1499]
Clinton Presidential Records: Automated Records Management System [Email]
NSC [OA/ID 1200000]
[China or Taiwan Missile Test]
[05/05/1996 – 05/15/1996]
Clinton Presidential Records: NSC Cable, Email, and Records Management System
NSC Cables
Jan 1995-Dec 1996 [OA/ID 510000]
[China or Taiwan Missile Test]
[01/11/1995 – 07/26/1995]
[07/27/1995 – 12/26/1995]
[03/05/1996 – 12/02/1996]
Box 3
NSC Email
MSMail-Record (Sept 94-Sept 97) [OA/ID 590000]
[China or Taiwan Missile Test]
[08/10/1995 – 03/06/1996]
[03/06/1996 – 03/07/1996]
[03/07/1996 – 03/11/1996]
[03/12/1996 – 03/21/1996]
[03/21/1996 – 07/29/1996]
NSC Records Management System
[China or Taiwan Missile Test]
9505723 [OA/ID 596]
9603171 [OA/ID 1101]
9602304 [OA/ID 1101]
9603210 [OA/ID 1101]