Taiwan’s Unresolved Status: History, Identity and the One China Policy
Taiwan’s unresolved status lies at the intersection of history, democracy, diplomacy and geopolitics. From the Chinese Civil War and the Republic of China’s relocation to Taiwan in 1949 to today’s democratic Taiwan, the island has developed a distinct political identity while remaining diplomatically contested. This article examines Taiwan’s history, how Taiwanese people view China, the meaning of the One China policy, why only 12 governments formally recognise Taiwan, and how countries such as the United States, Japan and Malaysia maintain varying degrees of strategic ambiguity.
