termination of American diplomatic relations with the Republic of China in Taiwan; (2) abrogation of the 1954 mutual defense treaty; and (3) the withdrawal of all American forces from Taiwan. Kissinger who visited Beijing in November 1974 and Ford on his 1975 visit reassured the Chinese that American intented to continue winding down its forces in Taiwan. By June 1975, the United States had withdrawn its air force squadrons from the island. According to Liu, American forces in Taiwan which "had numbered 9,000 in 1972, were down to 1,100 by 1977" (1997, p. 325). Beyond that the Americans were not prepared to go, in part because domestic sentiment had shifted. A 1975 Gallup poll revealed that 70 percent of Americans polled were against recognizing the PRC if that meant rupturing diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Perhaps the more important reason why neither Kissinger nor Ford were interested in making further concessions on Taiwan was the increasing rigidity of the party line in Beijing which reflected serious internal tensions.
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