Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. It is located at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast, and the Philippines to the south. The territories controlled by the ROC consist of 168 islands with a combined area of 36,193 square kilometres. The main island of Taiwan, also known as Formosa, has an area of 35,808 square kilometres, with mountain ranges dominating the eastern two-thirds and plains in the western third, where its highly urbanized population is concentrated. The capital, Taipei, forms along with New Taipei City and Keelung the largest metropolitan area. With around 23.9 million inhabitants, Taiwan is among the most densely populated countries.
Taiwan, formally known as the Republic of China (ROC), currently has formal diplomatic relations with 11 of the 193 United Nations member states and with the Holy See, which governs the Vatican City State, as of 12 February 2024. In addition to these relations, the ROC also maintains unofficial relations with 59 UN member states, one self-declared state (Somaliland), three territories, and the European Union via its representative offices and consulates under the One-China Principle. In 2021, the Government of the Republic of China had the 33rd largest diplomatic network in the world with 110 offices.
The political status of Taiwan or the Taiwan issue is a long-running dispute on the political status of Taiwan, currently controlled by the Republic of China (ROC). This dispute arose in the mid-twentieth century, and is ongoing.
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO), also known as Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO), Taipei Representative Office (TRO) or Taipei Mission, is an alternative diplomatic institution serving as a de facto embassy or a consulate of the Republic of China to exercise the foreign affairs and consular services in specific countries which have established formal diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. The PRC denies the legitimacy of the ROC as a sovereign state and claims the ROC-controlled territories as an integral part of its territory. An exclusive mandate, namely One-China policy, requires that any country wishing to establish a diplomatic relationship with the PRC must first sever any formal relationship with the ROC. According to The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs, "non-recognition of the Taiwanese government is a prerequisite for conducting formal diplomatic relations with the PRC—in effect forcing other governments to choose between Beijing and Taipei." As a result, these countries only allow the ROC to establish representative offices instead of a fully-fledged embassy or consulate for the purpose of conducting practical bilateral relations without granting full diplomatic recognition.
The Canadian Trade Office in Taipei is Canada's trade office in Taiwan, which functions as a de facto embassy in the absence of official diplomatic relations in which Canada recognized the People's Republic of China in October 1970 in accordance with the one-China policy.
Oceania is, to the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China, a stage for continuous diplomatic competition. The PRC dictates that no state can have diplomatic relations with both the PRC and the ROC. As of 2024, eleven states in Oceania have diplomatic relations with the PRC, and three have diplomatic relations with the ROC. These numbers fluctuate as Pacific Island nations re-evaluate their foreign policies, and occasionally shift diplomatic recognition between Beijing and Taipei. The issue of which "Chinese" government to recognize has become a central theme in the elections of numerous Pacific island nations, and has led to several votes of no-confidence.
Numerous states have ceased their diplomatic recognition of the Republic of China during the last 70 years, since the founding of the People's Republic of China. Under the One China policy, the ROC is recognized by 11 UN member states and Holy See with 59 UN member states and Somaliland maintaining unofficial cultural and economic relations.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Taiwan:
Paraguay–Taiwan relations, also known as Sino–Paraguayan relations or Paraguayan–Taiwanese relations are foreign relations between the Republic of Paraguay and the Republic of China (Taiwan). Both governments established diplomatic relations on 8 July 1957.
Russia–Taiwan relations or Taiwan–Russia relations are the bilateral foreign relations between Taiwan and Russia. Due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, relations became tense after Taiwan imposed sanctions against Russia. Russia placed Taiwan on a list of "unfriendly countries", along with South Korea, Japan, Singapore, the United States, European Union members, NATO members, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, Micronesia and Ukraine.
The Republic of the Fiji Islands was the first Pacific Island country to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, in 1975. China established an embassy in Fiji in 1976, and Fiji opened its embassy in China in 2001.
Samoa and China (PRC) established official diplomatic relations in 1976. The two countries currently maintain cordial relations; China provides economic aid to Samoa.
Relations between the Commonwealth of Australia and the Republic of China, formerly the Qing dynasty, date back to 1909. Since 1972, the political status and legal status of Taiwan have been contentious issues. Australia and Taiwan share partnership in the inter-governmental Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF) activities.
Taiwan-Bangladesh relations refer to international relations between Republic of China (Taiwan) and Bangladesh. Taiwan and Bangladesh do not have official relations.
The Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Federative Republic of Brazil do not have official diplomatic relations, as Brazil acknowledges the One-China policy. However, the two nations maintain unofficial diplomatic relations via economic and cultural offices.
Saudi Arabia and the Republic of China (ROC) have had a long relationship with deep diplomatic, military, and commercial elements. Relations formally existed until 1990 after which Saudi Arabia recognized the People's Republic of China (PRC).
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Canada, also called TECO Canada, is the representative office of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in Canada. Located in Ottawa, the office functions as a de facto embassy in the absence of formal diplomatic relations between Canada and Taiwan.
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China, does not have official diplomatic relations with Lithuania, since Lithuania does not officially recognize the Republic of China and maintains a One-China Policy whereby it views the People's Republic of China as the sole legitimate government representing China, including Taiwan. Despite this, relations between Lithuania and Taiwan have grown closer in recent years. In 2021, Taiwan opened the "Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania". Meanwhile, Lithuania intends to open a representative office in Taiwan. The recent strengthening of relations between Lithuania and Taiwan in 2021 has been heavily opposed by the People's Republic of China (PRC), which doesn't recognize Taiwan. Notably, the PRC has downgraded its embassy in Lithuania to the status of a "chargé d'affaires" in protest. The PRC and Lithuania had previously maintained full diplomatic relations with one another since 1991.
