[Answered] Highlight the reasons behind the China-Taiwan stand-off. What lessons can India take from it?

Taiwan is an island, roughly 100 miles from the coast of south east China. It sits in the so-called “first island chain”, which includes a list of US-friendly territories that are crucial to US foreign policy. It is the 5th largest economy in Asia and a global leader in Integrated Circuit Chip manufacturing. Taiwan is a member of WTO and Asia-Pacific Economic Corporation (APEC) under the name of “Chinese Taipei”. Currently, only 13 countries recognise Taiwan as a sovereign country.

Reasons behind the China-Taiwan stand-off:

• People’s Republic of China (PRC) always maintain that Taiwan as an inalienable part of mainland China and consider Taiwan as a breakaway province. To prove that the People’s Republic of China introduced “One country Two systems approach” and “One China Policy”.
• There is a diplomatic shift in the policy of the US and Taiwan. In recent years US engaged with Taiwan and supporting Taiwan’s membership to World Health organisation (WHO).
• Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) recorded a market share of just over 53 percent in the global semiconductor market. Hence China claims Taiwan.
• Relations between Taiwan and China appear to have deteriorated sharply following United States House Speaker’s visit to Taipei, which Beijing condemned as “extremely dangerous”.

Lessons India can learn:

• The growing economic and trading relationship between India and China does not ensure that tensions between the two sides do not escalate. As the close economic relationship with China (dependent on the semiconductors produced in Taiwan) has not stopped Taiwan from asserting its rights, nor has it backed down under Chinese threats.
• India should learn the importance of articulating red lines and sovereign positionsin an unambiguous manner like Taiwan. Any absence of such clarity will be cleverly utilised by China to push Indian limits.
• Appeasement of China, Taiwan knows, is not the answer to Beijing’s aggression. China today is a revisionist power, challenging the regional order and is intent on using force to meet its strategic objectives. With such a power, appeasement might work in the short term, but will invariably backfire over the long term. So, India for sure should do business with China, but not on China’s own terms.

Despite there is an ongoing tussle between China and Taiwan, India being Non-aligned with any one of them. India is continuing a mutual relationship with Taiwan without harming the relationship with China. It is high time for China to respect the same.