University of Tehran Published jointly with Iranian World Studies Association Journal of World Sociopolitical Studies 2588-3119 8 4 2024 10 01 Adaptive Strategic Ambiguity: An American Response to the Evolving Balance of Power in the Taiwan Strait 707 754 99972 10.22059/wsps.2024.380462.1454 EN Mostafa Pakdel Majd M.A. in East Asian Studies, School of International Relations, Tehran, Iran Mohammad Kazem Sajjadpour Professor of Diplomacy and International Organizations, School of International Relations, Tehran, Iran Journal Article 2024 05 06 The geopolitical significance of Taiwan has prompted the United States to remain vigilant about the island's security, even after recognizing the People's Republic of China in 1979. Consequently, while refraining from any legally binding commitment to defend Taiwan, the U.S. Congress passed the Taiwan Relations Act, with the aim of equipping Taipei with the necessary military capabilities to deter a potential attack by China—a policy later termed "Strategic Ambiguity". However, while Taiwan’s economic development and democratic transition over the past four decades have underscored the importance of preserving the cross-strait status quo, China’s integration into the global economy has enabled the People’s Liberation Army to challenge it. Although conventional debates suggest the United States must choose between strategic clarity and traditional ambiguity, this paper moves beyond such a dichotomy, arguing that U.S. foreign policy behavior toward Taiwan exhibits elements of both. Building on the new conceptual framework of "Adaptive Strategic Ambiguity", this paper categorizes the U.S. policy toward Taiwan into three distinct dimensions: the reinvigoration of regional balance of power, the transition toward political clarity, and the advancement of economic de-risking. https://wsps.ut.ac.ir/article_99972_470e21acfda2ac42045a32e552f1f887.pdf