In Derecognition, Robert Parker recounts how he unexpectedly became the de facto representative for Americans in Taiwan, steering the expatriate community through the political upheaval and practical uncertainties that followed Washington’s 1979 break in diplomatic ties with the island.

Anyone who has taken an East Asian history class is familiar with the fraught day in 1978 when the United States recognized the People’s Republic of China (PRC), severing formal ties with its longtime ally, the Republic of China (ROC) in Taiwan. Scholars have extensively examined why Washington made the switch. Far less attention has been paid to how the transition unfolded on the ground in Taiwan — a story that even devoted students of cross-Strait history may not know.

Derecognition, by Robert Parker with Don Shapiro, recounts how Americans in Taiwan navigated a life-changing diplomatic upheaval. In this semi-autobiographical account, Parker traces his own path from leading the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei (AmCham) to serving as an unofficial diplomat for the expatriate community, ultimately becoming its chief representative during the turbulent transition period.

For those unfamiliar with Robert Parker, he assumed the AmCham chairmanship just before America’s switch of diplomatic recognition to Beijing. A lawyer by training, Parker had fallen in love with Taiwan and left his practice in the United States to move to Taipei, aiming to become the go-to legal adviser for American businesses in East Asia. While he aspired to lead AmCham, he could not have foreseen the pivotal role he would play during the tumultuous changeover.

Following President Nixon’s 1972 trip to China, which signaled America’s intent to improve relations with the PRC, it became clear that the world would eventually have to reconsider its diplomatic, cultural, and economic ties with the ROC. Those attuned to U.S. policy in East Asia knew a shift in recognition was coming, but on December 15, 1978 few expected that the announcement would be imminent.

When President Carter’s televised address went out across the globe that evening, life for Americans in Taiwan changed instantly. Overnight, they went from protected citizens of a key American partner to expatriates in a place the United States no longer officially recognized.

After the ROC was “derecognized,” the Carter administration proposed legislation that would pave the way for preserving limited economic and cultural ties to Taiwan. The proposal would eventually become the Taiwan Relations Act, but its initial form was dangerously vague — unclear in its provisions and offering little guidance on how Americans and American businesses could operate there. Parker called it “woefully inadequate.”

Parker, newly elected to lead AmCham Taipei, was suddenly thrust into a daunting role. In the immediate aftermath of derecognition, the U.S. military and American diplomats withdrew from Taiwan, leaving urgent questions unanswered: What would happen to Americans who chose to stay? To whom would businesses pay taxes? What about American schoolchildren? And most cherished of all at the time, what would become of the English-language radio service the U.S. military had provided daily?

With no official representatives left to speak for them, it fell to a private citizen — Robert Parker — to serve, if only briefly, as a community leader and unofficial ambassador for Americans in Taiwan.

He soon flew to Washington and testified before Congress on President Carter’s proposed bill. His testimony, which Congressional staff termed the “Parker Memorandum,” helped push lawmakers to add far more substance to the Taiwan Relations Act than the original draft contained.

Derecognition offers vivid detail of these events, from a congressman’s handwritten notes praising Parker’s remarks to then-Senator Joe Biden’s emphatic support for Taiwan. Although Parker concedes that he cannot claim to have caused the TRA to include certain clauses, his testimony certainly correlates with many additions made after his trip to D.C.

Saving community institutions

When Parker returned to Taiwan, President Chiang Ching-kuo’s government turned to him as its primary contact for managing American affairs on the island. He and AmCham identified four “vital projects” to ensure continued smooth operations for expatriate community institutions whose status in Taiwan had been tied to the U.S. military presence. These included creating an English-language radio station to replace the one that would shut down with the U.S. military’s departure; building a new campus for the Taipei American School; launching youth programs for foreign children; and establishing a new American Club. The book details how Parker and his team, working without formal U.S. support, skillfully navigated Taiwan’s bureaucracy to achieve all four goals.

One of the book’s most gripping episodes recounts how the American Club secured its current location. As the move approached, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) abruptly informed Parker that the site could not be used — and that he could not even ask why. Suspecting a security pretext, Parker tapped his political contacts and learned the order was based on concerns that the location was too close to President Chiang’s residence. Parker’s inquiries revealed that the President knew nothing of the issue and had no objection to the Club’s use of the site.

Calling the ministry’s bluff, Parker refused to relocate. In the end, MOFA backed down and the Club opened as planned. For readers drawn to political intrigue, it is one of many such episodes in Parker’s telling.

For Americans who have fallen in love with Taiwan, Parker’s words and actions continue to resonate — especially his determined advocacy in Washington at a moment when U.S. policy was adrift. His account underscores a timeless lesson: that citizens can and should stand up for Taiwan, even when their government’s foreign policy takes a course they oppose. It is a message that feels as urgent and relevant today as it did then.

Parker’s love for, and dedication to, Taiwan is unquestionable. His book is a valuable addition to the record of U.S.-Taiwan relations, and a must-read for students of the island’s politics and history. It may also inspire readers to focus not only on why foreign policy decisions are made, but on how they are carried out.