Taiwan’s Peculiar Position and Sovereignty Problem in the Current International Political Environment

• Main Authors: Shu-Tung Chen, 陳曙東
• Other Authors: Kuo-Yu Tsai
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2010
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/17585113199294967405

碩士 === 淡江大學 === 中國大陸研究所碩士在職專班 === 98 === The Republic of China in Taiwan possesses its territory, people, and a government capable of executing its authority and interacting with other states. It has all the criteria for a sovereign state from the viewpoint of international law. However, some people believe Taiwan’s sovereignty is compromised due to historical reasons and under international political pressure. Taiwan’s sovereignty problem has become one of the complicated issue in the world as scholars use confronting sources to claim whether the island’s sovereignty has been established or not. According to historical documents, war-time declarations international treaties, and state recognition, Taiwan fully qualifies as a sovereignty states. In addition, it meets all the criteria as a sovereign state listed in the 1993 “Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States”. It is obvious the fact that Taiwan is actually an independent country and has been ruled by its own local government, not China, for the past decades can not be denied. Chinese leadership are very sensitive to the issue of “Taiwan’s sovereignty and international standing” which can influence the relations among China, the US, and Taiwan itself, China-Taiwan exchange, and even power balance among Asian powers. The difference between international law theory and Taiwan’s actual situations is mainly due to several factors such as domestic power changes on the island and strategic considerations by international powers. Taiwan is an export-oriented island located in the East Asia. It should find ways not to be marginalized under the current regionalism and globalism. Furthermore, it can use its economic power to influence other countries’ policy making in order to best protect its national interests and create more opportunities. This is the only way to help Taiwan get out of its political difficulty and ensure its long-term development.