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Further Reading

Taiwan - Foreign Relations

The defining characteristic of Taiwan's international relationships is its lack of diplomatic ties with most nations of the world. The authorities on Taiwan call their administration the "Republic of China," and for many years claimed to be the legitimate government of all China. Foreign nations wishing to establish diplomatic relations with a government of China could recognize the "Republic of China" or recognize the People's Republic of China (PRC), but not both. Most chose to recognize the PRC. The PRC was admitted to -- and Taiwan left -- the United Nations and most related organizations in the early seventies. The U.S. switched diplomatic recognition to the PRC in 1979.

The People's Republic of China replaced Taiwan at the United Nations in 1971, and Taiwan's diplomatic position has continued to erode, as many countries changed their official recognition from Taipei to Beijing. Twenty eight countries maintained diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 2005. As of June 2011, Taiwan had formal diplomatic ties with 23 countries. At the same time, Taiwan has cultivated informal ties with most countries to offset its diplomatic isolation and to expand its economic relations. Many nations have set up unofficial organizations to carry out commercial and other relations with Taiwan. Including its official overseas missions and its unofficial representative and/or trade offices, Taiwan was represented in 122 countries as of 2011.

While still admitting that Taiwan is part of China, Taiwan now seeks recognition as one of two "legitimate political entities" in China, the other being the PRC. Under this policy, the Taiwan authorities are seeking to join various international organizations, including the United Nations. Taiwan has been able to join the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) dialogue as an "economy" and is applying to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) as a "customs territory."

During the administration of President Chen, Taiwan lobbied strongly for admission into the United Nations and other international organizations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO). The P.R.C. opposes Taiwan's membership in such organizations, most of which require statehood for membership, because it considers Taiwan to be a part of its territory, not a separate sovereign state.

The administration of President Ma called for a "diplomatic truce" with Beijing, under which Taiwan would retain its existing diplomatic allies but not seek to win over countries that recognize the P.R.C. The Ma administration also hopes to expand Taiwan's "international space," increasing its participation in international organizations, such as the WHO, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the International Civil Aviation Administration (ICAO).