The agency of Taiwan: the front line of US-China rivalry
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24241/rcai.2025.141.3.91Keywords:
Taiwan, China, United States, agency, autonomy, economic cooperation, rivalry, trade agree, emts, geopolitics, economic security, international relationsAbstract
Revista CIDOB d’Afers Internacionals, nº 141
Quadrimestral (Octobe-December 2025)
ISSN:1133-6595 | E-ISSN:2013-035X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24241/rcai.2025.141.3.91
Taking a historical perspective, this paper examines the main limits and sources of Taiwan’s agency and autonomy in its foreign economic policy in a context of non-sovereignty because of the “one China policy”. Amid the strategic rivalry between the United States and China, Taiwan uses cutting-edge sectors of its national economy to forge and consolidate a network of alliances at both regional and international level. To do so, its main tool is the institutionalisation of bilateral relations with its various allies through economic agreements, which illustrate the limits of its agency and of the political will of its allies. Nevertheless, in the midst of a global trend towards economic security and strategic autonomy, Taiwan has adopted a strategy of “intelligent diplomacy” to devise innovative and flexible solutions to promote its regional interests and its external trade policy.
>> The full-text articles in this issue are currently available only in Spanish
References
Bauerle Danzman, Sarah y Meunier, Sophie. «The EU’s geoeconomic turn: From policy laggard to institutional innovator». Journal of Common Market Studies, vol. 62, n.º 4 (2024), p. 1.097-1.115.
Braun, Benjamin; Schindler, Sebastian y Wille, Tobias. «Rethinking agency in International Relations: performativity, performances and actor-networks». Journal of International Relations and Development, vol. 22, (2019), p. 787-807.
Campbell, Kurt M. y Mitchell, Derek J. «Crisis in the Taiwan Strait?». Foreign Affairs, vol. 80, n.º 4 (2001), p. 14-25.
Chang-Liao, Nien-chung y Fang, Chi. «The case for maintaining strategic ambiguity in the Taiwan Strait». The Washington Quarterly, vol. 44, n.º 2 (2021), p. 45-60.
Chen, Y-J.. «“One China” contestation in China-Taiwan relations: law, politics and identity». The China Quarterly, vol. 252, (2022), p. 1.025-1.044.
Chow, Peter C.Y. «Taiwan in International Economic Relations». Orbis, vol. 60, n.º 4 (2016), p. 531-549.
Comerma, Laia. «A second-tier partner? Taiwan in the EU’s Indo-Pacific strategy». ELF – Policy Paper, n.º 28 (diciembre de 2024) (en línea) [Fecha de consulta: 06.03.2025] https://liberalforum.eu/publication/a-second-tier-partner-taiwan-in-the-eus-indo-pacific-strategy/
Dent, Christopher M. «Taiwan and the new regional political economy of East Asia». The China Quarterly, vol. 182, (2005), p. 385-506.
Dreyer, Iana; Erixon, Fredrik; Lee-Makiyama, Hosuk; Sally, Razeen. «Beyond geopolitics: The case for a free trade accord between Europe and Taiwan». ECIPE Occasional Paper, n.º 3/2010, (2010), p. 1-70.
Duchâtel, Mathieu. «Scenarios of crisis in the Taiwan strait». EUI Global Governance Programme, Policy Brief, n.º 2021/27 (julio de 2021) (en línea) https://op.europa.eu/publication-detail/-/publication/bc89f79f-0619-11ec-b5d3-01aa75ed71a1
Ellerbeck, Stefan. «What’s the difference between ‘friendshoring’ and other global trade buzzwords?». World Economic Forum, (17 de febrero de 2023) (en línea) [Fecha de consulta: 08.03.2025] https://www.weforum.org/stories/2023/02/friendshoring-global-trade-buzzwords/
Esplin Odell, Rachel; Heginbotham, Eric; Lin, Bonny; Sacks, David y Templeman, Kharis. «Strait of emergency?». Foreign Affairs, vol. 100, n.º 5 (2021), p. 216-229.
Farrell, Henry y Newman, Abraham. «The new economic security state: How de-risking will remake geopolitics». Foreign Affairs, vol 102 (2023), p. 106.
Franck, Raymond y Melese, Francois. «A game theory view of military conflict in the Taiwan strait». Defense & Security Analysis, vol. 19, n.º 4 (2010), p. 327-348.
Friedman, Edward. «Chinese nationalism, Taiwan autonomy and the prospects of a larger war». Journal of Contemporary China, vol. 6, n.º 14 (1997), p. 5-32.
Gehrke, Tobias. «EU open strategic autonomy and the trappings of geoeconomics». European Foreign Affairs Review, vol. 27, nº. Special (2022).
Gov.uk. «Enhanced Trade Partnership arrangement between Taiwan and the United Kingdom», (14 de noviembre de 2023) (en línea) [Fecha de consulta: 23.08.2025] https://www.gov.uk/government/
Harris, Peter y McKinney, Jared M. «Strategic clarity or calamity? Competing logics of deterrence in the Taiwan Strait». International Affairs, vol. 100, n.º 3 (2024), p. 1.171-1.187.
Hsieh, Pasha Li-Tian. «Rethinking non-recognition: The EU’s investment agreement with Taiwan under the One-China Policy». Leiden Journal of International Law, vol. 33, n.º 3 (2020), p. 689-712.
Hu, Weixing y Meng, Weizhan. «Geopolitics, domestic politics, and risks of war in the Taiwan Strait». China Review, vol. 23, n.º 4 (2023), p. 17-39.
Klintworth, Gary. «China, Taiwan and the United States». Pacifica Review: Peace, Security & Global Change, vol. 13, n.º 1 (2001), p.41-59.
Klose, Stephan. «Theorizing the EU’s actorness: Towards an interactionist role theory framework». Journal of Common Market Studies, vol. 56, n.º 5 (2018), p. 1.144-1.160.
Meunier, Sophie. «The End of Naivety: Assertiveness and New Instruments in EU Trade and Investment Policy». European University Institute, n.º 2022/55, (2022) (en línea) https://op.europa.eu/publication-detail/-/publication/d46132a1-9552-11ed-b508-01aa75ed71a1
Meunier, Sophie y Nicolaïdis, Kalypso. «The geopoliticization of European trade and investment policy». Journal of Common Market Studies, vol. 57, (2019), p. 103-113.
Ministerio de Finanzas de la República de la China en Taiwán, s/f (en línea) [Fecha de consulta: 11.03.2025] https://www.mof.gov.tw/singlehtml/191?cntId=63930
Niemann, Arne y Bretherton, Charlotte. «EU external policy at the crossroads: The challenge of actorness and effectiveness». International Relations, vol. 27, n.º 3 (2013), p. 261-275.
Office of United States Trade Representative. «U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade», (7 de junio de 2022) (en línea) [Fecha de consulta: 23.08.2025] https://www.regulations.gov/
Rasool, Adnan y Ruggiero, Casey. «The case for smart diplomacy: Evidence from Taiwan’s new southbound policy». Asian Politics & Policy, vol. 14, n.º 3 (2022), p. 388-402.
Rogelja, Igor y Tsimonis, Konstantinos. «Narrating the China threat: Securitising Chinese economic presence in Europe». The Chinese Journal of International Politics, vol. 13, n.º 1 (2020), p. 103-133.
Ross, Robert S. «Navigating the Taiwan Strait: Deterrence, escalation dominance, and U.S.-China relations». International Security, vol. 27, n.º 2 (2002), p. 48-85.
Roy, Denny. «Prospects for Taiwan maintaining its autonomy under Chinese pressure». Asian Survey, vol. 57, n.º 6 (2017), p. 1.135-1.158.
Sacks, David y Segal, Adam. «Unpacking TSMC’s $100 billion investment in the United States». Council on Foreign Relations (4 de marzo 2025) (en línea) https://www.cfr.org/blog/unpacking-tsmcs-100-billion-investment-united-states
Shen, Howard. «Taiwan’s surprising drop in trade dependence on mainland China». The Diplomat, (8 de marzo de 2024) (en línea) [Fecha de consulta: 08.03.2025] https://thediplomat.com/2024/03/taiwans-surprising-drop-in-trade-dependence-on-mainland-china/
Sjöstedt, Gunnar. The external role of the European Community. Farnborough: Saxon House, 1977.
Taipéi Economic and Cultural Office in Canada. «Taiwan and Canada signed the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA)», (2024) (en línea) [Fecha de consulta: 23.08.2025] https://www.roc-taiwan.org/ca
Tercovich, Giulia y Comerma, Laia. «Europe’s Eyes on Taiwan: Strategic Ties, Different Perspectives». CSDS In-depth 2025, nº. 16 (2025). (en línea) https://csds.vub.be/publication/europes-eyes-on-taiwan-strategic-ties-different-perspectives/
The Economist. «China’s stunning new campaign to turn the world against Taiwan», (15 de febrero de 2025) (en línea) [Fecha de consulta: 11.03.2025] https://www.economist.com/international/2025/02/09/chinas-stunning-new-campaign-to-turn-the-world-against-taiwan
Wang, Earl. «Amphibious diplomacy: Bilateral Investment Agreement negotiations between the European Union and Taiwan». European Review of International Studies, vol. 10, n.º 1 (2023), p. 1-27.
Winkler, Sigrid. «Can trade make a sovereign? Taiwan-China-EU relations in the WTO». Asia Europe Journal, vol. 6, nº. 3 (2008), p. 467-485.
Workman, Daniel. «Taiwan’s top trading partners». World’s Top Exports (2024) (en línea). https://www.worldstopexports.com/taiwans-top-import-partners/#google_vignette
Wu, Chien-Huei. «Toward an EU-Taiwan bilateral investment treaty: a roadmap», en: Chaisse, Julien. (ed.). China-European Union investment relationships. Elgar, (2018), p. 206-224.
Yau, Hon-min. «Lessons from, and implications of, the Russia-Ukraine war for a future Taiwan Strait Scenario». Contemporary Chinese Political Economy and Strategic Relations: An International Journal, vol. 8, n.º 3 (2022), p. 519-551.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.






