Other Regional Issues

Taiwan (Chinese Taipei)

In 1991, the Nationalist government occupying Taiwan relinquished its claims to mainland China but maintained its claims for sovereignty over the island. China, however, sees the situation differently. As an essential tenet of its “one China” policy, China considers Taiwan a part of its territory, and many countries, including the U.S., fully recognize this claim. (As of early 2008, 171 countries maintained diplomatic relations with China, whereas only 23 countries maintained relations with Taiwan.)

In recent years, relations between the two countries have ranged from tense to confrontational. For many years, China has positioned military units and weapons across the Taiwanese Strait. Likewise, Taiwan has long maintained its own military, with weapons and defense technology supplied primarily by the U.S. (U.S. military support dating back to the Korean War has been largely responsible for preventing a PRC invasion of Taiwan.)

Today, the relationship between the two entities is often described as a delicate “status quo,” avoiding consideration of both official Taiwanese independence as well as Chinese military aggression to reclaim the island. Of late, negotiations have stalled as Taiwan has refused to comply with the PRC’s mandate that it recognize the “one China” policy before resuming talks. For its part, the U.S. encourages the two sides to peacefully resolve the issue through dialogue.

Taiwan has developed and maintains a powerful indigenous economy, and despite constant tension in its relations with China, the two entities maintain close economic ties. In fact, China is Taiwan’s number one trading partner, accounting for an estimated 32.3% of Taiwan’s exports and 10.9% of its imports in 2007.

Tibet

Recent protests have taken place in Tibet, accompanied by international movements calling for the region’s independence. The protests and movements revolve around longstanding issues concerning the region’s relationship to the PRC, and previously, to the Chinese empire. In the modern era, this debate was ignited after the PRC took control of Tibet in 1950 and later suppressed a Tibetan uprising movement in 1959, causing the Tibetan government and the Dali Lama to flee to India.

Citing various historical, political, and military connections, the PRC claims that the region has belonged to the Chinese empire for over 700 years. On the other hand, the Tibetan government-in-exile claims that the region has historically operated as an autonomous entity and that its primary connection to the Chinese empire was one of religious counsel, not political servitude. As it concerns the modern era, the Tibetan government-in-exile claims that the region was a sovereign state when the PRC entered the territory in 1949-1950

Of late, PRC officials have accused the Dalai Lama of inciting violent protests in the region. The Dalai Lama has denied such claims, stating that he does not advocate violence or independence for the region, only greater autonomy, particularly in terms of religious and cultural freedom. According to many Tibetans, historical grievances over the region’s autonomy have worsened in recent years because of efforts by the PRC to suppress Tibetan religion and culture. Supporting this view, critics claim that as increasing numbers of Han Chinese migrate to the region, the culture of the Tibetan people has been further diluted. For its part, the PRC claims that its development of the region has brought improved services, infrastructure, and an overall higher standard of living to the area. Meanwhile, Tibetans have claimed that such development has disrupted their traditional way of life and largely benefited the local Han Chinese. In line with the “one China” policy, the U.S. formally recognizes Tibet as a part of China, although some U.S. officials have called for the PRC to demonstrate greater respect for the cultural and religious rights of Tibetans.

Japan

China and Japan are presently involved in a territorial dispute concerning maritime claims and sovereignty over a series of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea. Historically, the two countries have had a history of hostile relations and conflict, including the First and Second Sino-Japanese Wars of 1894-1895 and 19371945, respectively. Today, political and diplomatic relations between the two countries are often tense over a variety of issues. The discord has endured even as Sino-Japanese trade has expanded considerably in recent years (two-way trade totaled USD 207 billion in 2006).

Of late, however, Chinese President Hu Jintao has made efforts to improve relations and expand ties between the two countries.

The current territorial dispute concerns the two countries’ overlapping maritime claims in the East China Sea, the site of potentially extensive hydrocarbon resources. China and Japan are involved in ongoing negotiations over the issue. At present, no settlement has been reached.