Chinese-Taiwanese-Southeast Asian triangular relations: On building and rebuilding political and economic assertiveness in South China Sea
Share
Abstract
China’s extraordinary economic growth and active diplomacy continue to transform greater East Asia with its sphere of influence extending to the other side of the globe through its robust development aid provisions. Taiwan, despite its political isolation with the admission of China into the United Nations as well as due to the “One China” principle managed to grow its economy as one of Asia’s tigers– a driver that led Taiwan to establish economic and cultural relations with Southeast Asian states in the absence of formal diplomatic relations. Meanwhile, Southeast Asia has seen robust and continued economic growth in the past few decades. Notwithstanding these economic gains, the present geopolitical sphere in this part of the world is becoming tenser than ever. China has been increasingly assertive in its actions in the South China Sea for years now, while Taiwan has also done a fair share of mobilisation in the contested islands. Protests from some ASEAN-member states have escalated, as manifested in their foreign policies. Within this trajectory, this paper looks into the underlying aspects of the triangular relations between China, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia. K
Description
Notes
Reymund B. Flores (corresponding author) is a Doctor of Public Administration candidate at the National College of Public Administration and Governance, University of the Philippines– Diliman, and one of the 2018 research fellows of the Philippine Journal of Public Administration (PJPA). Presently, he is working on his dissertation about cross-sector collaboration with scholarship grant from the Philippine Commission on Higher Education, and is a recipient of the Research Award Program of the Philippine Social Science Council for 2018, and the UP-NCPAG. His research interests and publications include East and Southeast Asian studies and political development, collaborative governance, and state-civil society engagements.
Rachel Mary Anne A. Basas is an Australia Awards scholar presently studying for a postgraduate degree in project management at the University of Sydney. Prior to coming to Australia she has been with the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program– National Program Management Office as Assistant Head of the Capability Building Division from 2014-2017. She has also taught diplomacy students at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde from 2010-2014, and has served on the Board of Director of the ASEAN Youth Organization, with headquarters in Jakarta, from 2014-2015. She has written the following books for Philippine senior high school students: Trends, networks, and critical thinking in the 21st Century, Disaster readiness and risk reduction, and Understanding culture, society, and politics. Rachel also holds a Master’s degree in International Studies from the University of the Philippines– Diliman. Her research interests are on social protection and management of international development projects.