| Abstract: |
This paper investigates how Taiwan’s “one China†concept evolved during
the democratization process that occurred under the leadership of former
President Lee Teng-hui. The author argues that there was a crucial evolution
of the “one China†concept and that the transformation of the concept
resulted from changes in Taiwan’s internal political circumstances. The
evolution of the concept creates a real possibility that the “status quoâ€
sought by the ROC in the Taiwan Strait both during and after the Cold War
might be destroyed. In addition, any further evolution of the “one Chinaâ€
concept will surely make the “status quo†of Taiwan untenable, in that it
would induce Taiwan to seek de jure instead of de facto independence, possibly
initiating a conflict between the PRC and the ROC. To prevent such a conflict
in the Taiwan Strait, the international community must persuade the ROC not to
go beyond the “status quo†and to stay within the framework of de facto
independence. At the same time, both the PRC and the ROC should be urged to
maintain an open conduit of communication for productive talks on the
reunification of China. |
| Keywords: |
One China, PRC, ROC, Taiwan, China, Democratization, Lee Teng-hui, Foreign relations, Foreign policy, 1 |