Taiwan’s International Engagement and the Way Forward

Taiwan’s international legal status is unique, and remains far from settled within the context of international law. In the realm of international politics, this issue is further complicated. While some align with the one China principle, many states and international organizations have their own “one China policy”—recognizing the PRC as China’s sole legal representative—while not accepting China’s assertion over Taiwan.

Beijing seems intent on erasing these divergent perspectives. While efforts to promote the one China principle on an international scale is not new for Beijing, the PRC has intensified its push to promote its own interpretation. Beijing’s intensified discourse appears to be aimed at lending legitimacy to its assertion of sovereignty over Taiwan through misrepresentation.

Yu-Jie Chen, the Wilson Center’s 2023 Taiwan Scholar, discussed how Taiwan’s continued exclusion from the international regime has implications not only for Taipei’s representation in international organizations, but also for the integrity of global governance at large.