This week marks the 50th anniversary of the President Nixon's "Week That Changed the World" trip to Communist China that effectively ended the United States’ long isolation from the People’s Republic of China. The status of Taiwan and U.S.-China relations have never been the same since.

For today’s episode of Show Cause, we spoke with Memphis Law professor Ronnie Gipson about the fallout from that trip these many years later and the current situation with Taiwan and China as it relates to the U.S. and the entire international community.

With the focus of the world dialed in on China during the recent Olympics, it seems like a very timely opportunity to examine this issue. Additionally, the current international situation surrounding Russia and the Ukraine has shifted many people’s attention to the realm of international disputes, and while the Ukraine matter may be currently overshadowing Taiwan and China, it may also be a preview to how China will handle the issue on the international stage in the coming months or even years. In a way, what happens in the Ukraine and how the international community reacts to it might determine how China decides to operate going forward. It’s an interesting situation with worldwide repercussions and one that I found extremely interesting to get to know more about, both historically and looking forward.