ABSTRACT
Professor Vale offers a unique global perspective from which to view Taiwan’s role in the international arena. De-emphasizing the significance of sovereignty and of the state, he argues that the new global order has brought about a “crisis in paradigms” in which “the very concepts that we use to describe the world have failed us.” This paradigmatic shift challenges conventional state-centric theoretical frameworks and not only changes the way we may view Taiwan’s actions in the global arena but also gives Taiwan s quest for international participation and recognition much hope.
Examining the South African experience, Professor Vale points to a dualism in South African international diplomacy during its pariah years. This dualism consisted of two polities: an officially recognized apartheid state with no legitimacy and the antiapartheid forces that had international legitimacy with no recognition. South Africa’s foreign relations are a merger of these two polities, not simply the actions of a unitary state.
Not only does Professor Vale use this dualism to give us an understanding of the ambiguous and complex prospects of South African relations with Taiwan, but an understanding of this dualism supports his more important premise concerning Taiwan’s role in the international community. Because global change has brought about an erosion of national borders, the state is no longer the central actor in international relations. Suggesting that economics has transcended politics in international relations, he concludes that the establishment of international economic ties has given Taiwan a more significant international role than most currently recognize.
