Authors: Fardin Jahangeer andDr. Karamala Areesh Kumar
Taiwan, a small independent island situated on the coastline of China, has been able to successfully cooperate and work with numerous powerful states to create an ecosystem that has helped its economy. China, however, has raised concerns over its independence and believes the island to be a rebel region that should somehow become part of the mainland. China has taken measures to isolate this region, and this has led Taiwan to have diplomatic ties with only certain countries. One of Taiwan’s main allies would be the USA, a big source of weaponry for the island. This directory helps the states and also shows that the USA understands the importance of Taiwan’s geographical location in the context of their attempts to balance power in the Indo-Pacific region and their attempts to stop Chinese dominance in that region.
Taiwan is a leading name in the semiconductor industry, and cooperation with countries in the EU, the USA, and Japan has been a major reason for this. Taiwan has attracted foreign investment in the electronics sector, and its growth in this field cannot be understated. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TMSC) is the most valuable company on the continent, estimated at 600 billion dollars. Between 2010 and 2021, the island experienced a growth of 44% in its GDP, and it is projected that there will be a growth of 19% by 2025. It is also among the top 25 largest economies in the world.
The Russia-Ukraine crisis and the Israel-Palestine issue are the two major conflicts which received the attention of the international community. Taiwan’s stance on the two conflicts has been contradictory. Taiwan has condemned the actions of Russia against Ukraine and has taken great measures to help Ukraine deal with the conflict, whereas, in the Israel-Palestine issue, they haven’t done much to help Palestinian citizens and have been shy to answer about the inhumane actions done by the Israel administration. In this article we discuss Taiwan’s stance and how they are using the lessons gained from these conflicts for themselves if ever a war arises against China.
Taiwan on Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Many have highlighted the close resemblance of the China-Taiwan position with the Ukraine-Russia position, one of them being the use of historical background as a reason for trying to capture the territory with power. Considering the geopolitical and economic importance of this region, Taiwan’s stance on issues like this is of the utmost importance.
Ambassador Hsiao BI-Khim currently works as a representative for Taiwan in the US, and her recent statement, “Ukraine’s survival is Taiwan’s survival,” Ukraine’s success is Taiwan’s success,” clearly shows the stance of Taiwan on this issue. Taiwanese representatives have openly supported the Ukrainians and have also kept close tabs on steps taken by Europe and the US to solve this conflict. In the year 2022, Taiwan increased their spending in the military field and also announced the reinstatement of mandatory one-year military service for eligible men, which will be active in 2024. The immense pressure from their neighbours resulted in a declaration that women were now eligible to volunteer for reserve force training by the Taiwanese Defense Military.
The uneasiness caused by the Russians resulted in the US restructuring and passing acts like the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which authorizes a sum not exceeding 2 billion dollars a year for Taiwan’s military purposes in case of emergency. This is mentioned in the Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act, a section presented in the NDAA.
Taiwan has been available to showcase its support for Ukraine via its service of humanitarian aid; they have been able to raise more than 113 million dollars for this purpose. The aid includes food and refugee support, but Kyiv has been unsure of receiving help, receiving direct help from Taiwan. It may be because of the lack of proper diplomatic ties between the two. Even after this, Taiwan is still among the top contributors of humanitarian aid to Ukraine. This is done by contributing through churches and regional NGOs and by also sending aid to neighbouring countries in Ukraine.
Taiwan on Israel-Palestine Conflict
Taiwan has been strategically learning and understanding the happenings in the Israel-Palestine conflict. Taiwan can see its future and past in both countries, namely Israel and Palestine. Israel has been notably not allowing aid to reach Gaza, which can be a near-future incident for Taiwan if ever China decides to capture the land with military dominance. Taiwan would be among the few who can clearly understand the isolation faced by Israel in the Middle East because it mirrors the isolation, they faced in the world order due to the strength of China. Israel declared Taiwan a good friend when Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) condemned the methods used by Hamas publicly. The citizens of Taiwan have also shown their support for the kidnapped citizens of Israel by gifting flowers to Israel’s representative office in Taipei. While thanking the statements made by the officials of Taiwan, Israel has simultaneously blamed the Chinese government for their policies.
Taiwan hasn’t taken as much initiative in raising aid for Palestine as it did for Ukraine. They have only offered aid to Palestine through certain charitable organizations and haven’t answered any questions that talk about Israel violating international humanitarian laws. Taiwan believes that the information and relationships they have gained from the Israel-Gaza war and the invasion of Ukraine by Russia will be vital for its sustainability if ever a war arises against China. The future of Taiwan is an important factor for the two major powerhouses, the United States and China, and in a way, the future of Taiwan is the future of diplomacy and will surely raise questions about the international order if something catastrophic happens in the future.