The geopolitical dimension of China's strategy towards Taiwan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61353/ma.0230092Keywords:
geopolitics, Chinese strategy, Taiwan, conflict in Asia-PacificAbstract
Taiwan
has great geopolitical importance from the Chinese point of view, because of, its vital geostrategic connecting Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia with the Pacific region, and its economic strength, technological progress, and military capability, this helped it to play a central role in trade and the regional and global economy despite the small size of its population and area, all this was present in the Chinese strategic perception, as Taiwan is a Chinese strategic goal, China seeks to achieve and contain it by any means, the totality of those circumstances made the Chinese- Taiwan relationship fraught with tension most of the time, as Taiwan seeks to preserve its political entity, sovereignty and independence, against the power of China and aspires to annex Taiwan to it, as China's increasingly aggressive behavior in the South China Sea has increased tension in the region and the importance of Taiwan in the US strategic calculations; these conflicting interests could lead to the flare-up of the region and drag it into an ominous war, it is very necessary to attach importance to diplomatic work to manage this relationship, resolve complications and avoid provoking China, and perhaps the time is right for future generations to solve problems and reassess relations between the two countries.
References
1. Bajpai, Kanti P., Ho, Selina, & Miller, Manjari Chatterjee (Eds.). (2020). Routledge handbook of China-India relations. Routledge.
2. BBC News. (2024, January 8). China and Taiwan: A really simple guide. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-59900139
3. Green, Brendan Rittenhouse, & Talmadge, Caitlin. (2022). Then what? Assessing the military implications of Chinese control of Taiwan. International Security, 47(1), 7–45.
4. Bukhari, Syed Rizwan Haider, Khan, Azhar Ullah, Haq, Ikram Ul, & Ullah, Tariq. (2024). The geopolitical implications of Taiwan-China relations on regional security. Spry Contemporary Educational Practices (SCEP), 3(1), 104–118. https://doi.org/10.62681/sprypublishers.scep/3/1/6
5. Bush, Richard C. (2017). A one-China policy primer. The Brookings Institution. http://www.brookings.edu/research/a-one-china-policy-primer/
6. Chen, Yi-Chieh. (2025, February 5). Assessing the effectiveness of China's military exercises in restraining Taiwan's leadership (Issue Brief). Institute for Security and Development Policy. https://www.isdp.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Brief-Chen.pdf
7. Cheng, Joseph. (2013). China's regional strategy and challenges in East Asia. China Perspectives, 14(2), 53–65.
8. Christensen, Thomas J. (2002). The contemporary security dilemma: Deterring a Taiwan conflict. The Washington Quarterly, 25(4), 5–21. https://dx.doi.org/10.1162/016366002760252509
9. Christiansen, Thomas, & Maher, Richard. (2017). The rise of China—Challenges and opportunities for the European Union. Asia Europe Journal, 15(2), 121–131. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10308-017-0469-2
10. CIA. (2025). Taiwan. In The world factbook. Retrieved [access date], from https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/taiwan/
11. De, Souhardya, & Budd, William. (2024). India's Taiwanese security policy: A priority for regional security in the Indo-Pacific. Global Taiwan Brief, 9(19), 1–15. Global Taiwan Institute. https://globaltaiwan.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/GTB-9.19-PDF.pdf
12. Drury, A. Cooper, & Li, Yitan. (2006). US economic sanction threats against China: Failing to leverage better human rights. Foreign Policy Analysis, 2(4), 307–324. https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-8594.2006.00033.x
13. European Commission. (n.d.). Trade defence: Cases. http://trade.ec.europa.eu/tdi/index.cfm?sta=1&en=20&page=1&c_order=date&c_order_dir=Down
14. Garamone, Jim. (2023, September 19). U.S. strengthening deterrence in Taiwan Strait. U.S. Department of Defence. https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/article/3531094/us-strengthening-deterrence-in-taiwan-strait/
15. Global Firepower. (2025). China military strength. Retrieved [access date], from https://www.globalfirepower.com/country-military-strength-detail.php?country_id=china
16. Guo, Baogang. (2022). Sino–US decoupling: The roles of US Congress. Journal of Chinese Political Science, 27(3), 543–565. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11366-021-09782-5
17. Hackett, James (Ed.). (2022). The military balance 2022. Routledge for International Institute for Strategic Studies.
18. Hashmi, Sana. (2024). China's influence on India-Taiwan economic dynamics. Global Taiwan Brief, 9(9), 15. Global Taiwan Institute. https://globaltaiwan.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/GTB-Volume-9-Issue-9-1.pdf
19. Holmes, James R., & Yoshihara, Toshi. (2008). Chinese naval strategy in the 21st century: The turn to Mahan. Routledge.
20. Huang, Qiuyun. (2016). On Taiwan's geopolitical importance. China Leadership Science, (1), 167.
21. Inoue, Ichiro. (2021). Japan's ideational competition with China. Strategic Japan, CSIS. https://csis-website-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/2023-06/210405_Inoue_Ideational_Competition.pdf
22. John, S. (2001). Challenges and opportunities in the Taiwan Strait. The RUSI Journal, 146(5), 11–16. https://www.ncuscr.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/page_attachments_Challenges-and-Opportunities-Taiwan-Strait.pdf
23. Jordan, Zoe, & Shattuck, Thomas J. (2024). Taiwan's geopolitics after 2024: Election implications for the Indo-Pacific and beyond (post-workshop report). PERRY WORLD HOUSE, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. https://global.upenn.edu/sites/default/files/perry-world-house/taiwans-geopolitics-after-2024.pdf
24. Kamiya, Matake. (2023). China's takeover of Taiwan would have a negative impact on Japan. In David Santoro & Ralph Cossa (Eds.), The world after Taiwan's fall (pp. 29–38). Pacific Forum.
25. Kastner, Scott L. (2022). War and peace in the Taiwan Strait. Columbia University Press.
26. Lee, Ji-Young. (2020, November). The geopolitics of South Korea–China relations: Implications for U.S. policy in the Indo-Pacific (Perspective No. PEA524-1). RAND Corporation. https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/perspectives/PEA500/PEA524-1/RAND_PEA524-1.pdf
27. Liu, Da-Nien. (2016). The trading relationship between Taiwan and the United States: Current trends and the outlook for the future. The Brookings Institution. http://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-trading-relationship-between-taiwan-and-the-united-states-current-trends-and-the-outlook-for-the-future/
28. Liu, Xinhua. (2015). Research on China's seapower strategy development. People's Press.
29. Loke, Beverley. (2021). The United States, China and the politics of hegemonic ordering in East Asia. International Studies Review, 23(4), 1208–1229. https://academic.oup.com/isr/article-abstract/23/4/1208/6103944
30. Lowther, William. (2014, May 14). Taiwan–US ties stronger than ever: AIT chairman. Taipei Times. http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2014/05/14/2003590315
31. Mamchii, Oleksandra. (2023, October 3). What is the motive of China behind its interest in Taiwan? Best Diplomats. https://bestdiplomats.org/why-china-wants-taiwan/
32. Nawaz, Ahmad, & Rasool, Igra. (2023). The pivot to Asia policy and China's rise: Competition between US and China in Asia Pacific. International Journal of Contemporary Issues in Social Sciences, 2(4), 980–987. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/380577682
33. Nye, Joseph S. (2020). The rise of China. In The struggle for power: U.S.--China relations in the 21st century (pp. 133–138). The Aspen Institute. http://www.aspeninstitute.org/publications/the-struggle-for-power-u-s-china-relations-in-the-21st-century/
34. Office of the Director of National Intelligence. (2021). Annual threat assessment of the US intelligence community. https://www.dni.gov/index.php/newsroom/reports-publications/reports-publications-2021/3532-2021-annual-threat-assessment-of-the-u-s-intelligence-community
35. Parsapour, Danial. (2024, Spring). US-China trade war: Causes, impacts and the unclear future of bilateral relations (Student thesis). Institution for Economic History and International Relations, Stockholm University. https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1865800/FULLTEXT01.pdf
36. Purwanti, Asih. (2019). Structural change in East Asia: Is hegemonic stability theory still relevant? In Proceedings of the First Brawijaya International Conference on Social and Political Sciences (BSPACE 2019). EAI. https://eudl.eu/doi/10.4108/eai.26-11-2019.2295177
37. Rigger, Shelley. (2011). Why Taiwan matters: Small Island, global powerhouse. Rowman & Littlefield.
38. Rigger, Shelley, et al. (2022, February 7). Why is unification so unpopular in Taiwan? It's the PRC political system, not just culture. Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/why-is-unification-so-unpopular-in-taiwan-its-the-prc-political-system-not-just-culture/
39. Roy, Denny. (2024, April 17). Why China remains unlikely to invade Taiwan. Lowy Institute. https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/why-china-remains-unlikely-invade-taiwan
40. Russell, Daniel. (2020, June 3). The 3 flashpoints that could turn a US–China 'cold war' hot. The Diplomat. https://thediplomat.com/2020/06/the-3-flashpoints-that-could-turn-a-us-china-cold-war-hot/
41. Sitaraman, Srini. (2020, May). China's salami slicing tactics and the latest India-China border standoff (Security Nexus). Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies. https://dkiapcss.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/N2502_Sitaraman_Salami_Slicing_China.pdf
42. Sutter, Robert. (2015). More American attention to Taiwan amid heightened competition with China. American Journal of Chinese Studies, 22(1), 1–16.
43. Trading Economics. (n.d.). China population. Retrieved [access date], from https://ar.tradingeconomics.com/china/population
44. Tuyen, Tran Thi Mong. (2024). The future of Taiwan-Vietnam economic relations. Global Taiwan Brief, 9(9), 15. Global Taiwan Institute. https://globaltaiwan.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/GTB-Volume-9-Issue-9-1.pdf
45. UK Government. (2025, August 1). Taiwan: Trade and investment factsheet. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/688ac5291affbf4bedb7b114/taiwan-trade-and-investment-factsheet-2025-08-01.pdf
46. US Congress. (1979, January 1). Taiwan Relations Act (Public Law 96-8, 22 U.S.C. 3301 et seq.). American Institute in Taiwan. https://www.ait.org.tw/taiwan-relations-act-public-law-96-8-22-u-s-c-3301-et-seq/
47. US Congress, House Committee on Foreign Affairs. (2011). Why Taiwan matters: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Affairs (112th Cong., 1st sess.). http://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-112hhrg70584/html/CHRG-112hhrg70584.htm
48. US Department of State. (2021). On the mass arrests of democracy advocates in Hong Kong. https://2017-2021.state.gov/on-the-mass-arrests-of-democracy-advocates-in-hong-kong/
49. Wang, Guan. (2024). Support for Taiwan in the US House of Representatives: A new look at US–China–Taiwan relations. Journal of East Asian Studies, 24(2), 221–245. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/jea.2024.12
50. Westad, Odd Arne. (2015). Restless empire: China and the world since 1750. Basic Books. https://www.academia.edu/69610680/
51. White House. (2022). Indo-Pacific strategy of the United States. https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/U.S.-Indo-Pacific-Strategy.pdf
52. World Bank. (n.d.). Urban population (% of total population) - Taiwan, China. Retrieved [access date], from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP
53. https://www.academia.edu/69610680/Restless_Empire_China_and_the_World_Since_1750
54. Xi, J. (2014, May 21). New Asian security concept for new progress in security cooperation [Speech]. Fourth Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, Shanghai. http://id.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/sgdt/201405/t20140530_2048472.htm
55. Xiao, J., & Strumpf, D. (2025, May 23). How China factors into the conflict between India and Pakistan. Bloomberg. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-23/what-role-does-china-play-in-the-india-pakistan-conflict
56. Yoshihara, T. (2023, December 4). Chinese views of Taiwan's geostrategic value. SASAKAWA PEACE FOUNDATION, (45). https://www.spf.org/spf-china-observer/en/document-detail045.html
57. Zhang, W. (2015). On China's geopolitics. Ocean Press.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
