A shrimp between whales: the international system and Taiwan’s foreign policy

Countless stimuli influence a state’s foreign policy behavior and each level of analysis contributes something to one’s understanding of a government’s foreign policy outcomes. This chapter examines evidence supporting the proposition that the system level of analysis best explains Taiwan’s foreign policy conduct. It shows how external factors have long exercised an inordinate degree of influence over the island’s foreign relations. Indeed, it is probable that two great powersthe People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the US-will continue to be crucially important players in Taiwan’s foreign policy calculations.