Taiwan

Abstract

Having arranged our selection of contested states in order of seniority, beginning with the most ‘junior’ pretender, we have to end with the Republic of China (ROC or Taiwan). With its contested statehood dating back to the late 1940s, the ROC was the doyen of this corps. But longevity was not the main reason why the ROC deserved special attention in this inquiry. Taiwan provided a rich illustration of the diversity among contested states and served as an outstanding example of how such an entity can skillfully exploit its limited international space. Unlike many contested states, the ROC was not a secessionist entity that proclaimed unilateral independence. Instead it owed its contested statehood to revolutionary regime change in mainland China, which reduced the ROC to the last outpost of the ancien regime. Even so Taiwan has managed to retain a measure of international recognition, with the result that its diplomatic isolation has not been as severe as that of most other contested states. Not content to be boxed in, the ROC has become a pioneer in the development of semiofficial foreign representation as a substitute for normal diplomatic ties. One of the reasons for its success in this endeavour was Taiwan’s economic muscle — a feature that has also helped the ROC develop its empirical statehood to a level far superior to that of any other contested state. Its extensive socio-economic ties with its veto state, China, added to Taiwan’s uniqueness.