ABSTRACT
Discussions on Taiwan’s international participation should begin by choosing from the contrasting perspectives on Taiwan’s contested international status.1 According to the official yearbook of Taiwan:2
The Republic of China (ROC) is a sovereign state with a population of 23 million and a defined territory consisting of the islands of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu, and several islets. Since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1949, the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have been governed separately, with neither subject to the other’s rule. The Republic of China maintains its own national defense and conducts its own independent foreign policy, including full diplomatic relations with nearly 30 countries and substantive ties with more than 140 others. Its democratically elected government represents the 23 million people living in Taiwan, and no other government in the world can legitimately claim to represent them or speak on their behalf.3
