The First Taiwan Strait Crisis began on September 3, 1954, when the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of the Communist People's Republic of China (PRC) started bombarding the Republic of China (ROC)-controlled Quemoy Island, situated just a few miles from mainland China. The conflict later expanded to include other nearby ROC-held islands such as Matsu and Dachen. Despite the United States initially viewing these islands as militarily insignificant, they were of vital importance to the ROC for any potential future campaign to reclaim mainland China. In response to the PLA's actions, the U.S. Congress passed the Formosa Resolution on January 24, 1955, authorizing the President to defend Taiwan and its offshore islands. 

The PLA's military activity culminated in the capture of Yijiangshan Island in January 1955, where 720 ROC troops were killed or wounded. This prompted the United States and the ROC to formalize the Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty in December 1954, which allowed U.S. Navy support for evacuating Nationalist forces from vulnerable positions like the Dachen Islands. The crisis saw temporary de-escalation in March 1955 when the PLA ceased its shelling activities.

The First Taiwan Strait Crisis officially came to an end in April 1955 during the Bandung Conference, when Premier Zhou Enlai announced China's intention to negotiate with the United States. Subsequent ambassadorial-level discussions began in Geneva in August 1955, although the core issues underlying the conflict remained unaddressed, setting the stage for another crisis three years later.