With a country like the U.S., where economic and national security interests drive almost every international action and posture, you have to constantly play the game of "What do we have to win..... and what do we have to lose." In the case of Taiwan, I fail to see where continuing to irk China over Taiwan serves any of the U.S.'s interests. Are there vast amounts of oil hidden deep below the Taiwanese island that only the U.S. government knows about? If it's strictly noble and humanitarian, then yeah...... I agree with the confounding lack of consistency. But then again I'm no expert on foreign relations. I just feel there must be something more here than meets the eye.