Position Paper
Committee: United Nations General Assembly
Portfolio: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
School: Suncity World School
Delegate: Aradhya Atre
Topic: Discussing the China-Taiwan Conflict
“Take the initiative to seek change, and successfully capture and create
opportunities in the midst of the crises and difficulties before.”
President Xi Jinping
Statement of the Problem:
The world is deeply concerned about the escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan, which is officially known as the Republic of China (ROC) is an island which
is separated from the mainland China by the Taiwan strait. Taiwan in located roughly
100 miles from the coast of South-East China. China and Taiwan separated amid civil
war in 1949 and China considers Taiwan part of its territory to be taken control of by
force if necessary. This split of ROC and the People’s Republic of China (PRC)
happened as a consequence of the Chinese civil war. China still advocated for the
“One-China Policy”. Today, only about 13 countries recognize Taiwan as an
independent country.
Causes:
(i) Political Causes:
1) Background:
1.1) Taiwan came under Chinese control during the Qing dynasty
but was given to Japan after China lost the first Sino-Japanese war in
1895.
1.2) China regained control of Taiwan in 1945 after Japan lost World
War II, but the civil war between the nationalists and communists led
to the nationalists fleeing to Taiwan in 1949.
1.3) The Kuomintang party, led by Chiang Kai-shek, ruled Taiwan for
many years and is still a prominent political party. China
claims Taiwan as a Chinese province, but Taiwan argues that it was
never part of the People's Republic of China (PRC).
2) Escalation:
2.1) In the 1950s, the PRC bombed islands under Taiwan's control,
drawing in the US, which passed the Formosa (Old Name of
Taiwan) Resolution to defend Taiwan's territory.
2.2) In 1995-96, China's testing of missiles in the seas around
Taiwan led to the biggest US mobilization in the region since
the Vietnam War.
3) Recent Developments:
3.1) The 2016 election of President Tsai marked the beginning of a
sharp pro-independence phase in Taiwan, which has been intensified
by her re-election in 2020.
3.2) The island now has significant economic interests, including
investments in China.
3.3) Pro-independence groups worry that this economic dependence
may hinder their goals, while pro-reunification groups in Taiwan, as
well as China, hope that increasing people-to-people contacts will
eventually wear down the pro-independence lobbies.
3.4) Taiwan has been able to maintain its independence, but the
situation remains volatile. As Taiwan continues to develop
economically, it is likely that tensions will continue to rise between
China and Taiwan, making it crucial to monitor the situation in the
region closely.
(ii) Economic Causes:
1) Chip Making:
1.1) Chinese invasion of Taiwan could mean trillions of dollars in
losses and a serious global recession. Taiwan is home to TSMC, the
world's biggest chipmaker. Given that no other company makes such
advanced chips at such a high volume, a conflict could mean the
production of everything from cars to iPhones grinds to a halt.
Country Portfolio:
I would like to highlight the following points in the UK’s foreign policy on the
China Taiwan conflict:
The UK does not recognize the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) claim to
Taiwan.
The UK has a long-standing policy of “strategic ambiguity” on the Taiwan
issue, which means that we have not explicitly stated whether or not we
would come to Taiwan’s defence in the event of an attack by the PRC.
The UK has sold arms to Taiwan in the past, and we have said we would
continue to do so if it was in our interest.
The UK has a close relationship with the USA, and we would work closely
with the US in the event of a crisis in the Taiwan Strait
Solution:
I believe that the UK’s foreign policy on the China-Taiwan conflict is a balanced and
responsible one. We are committed to peace and stability in the region, but we are
also prepared to defend our interests. I urge both sides to take steps to reduce
tensions and to work towards a peaceful resolution on their differences.
References and Citations:
"If China would invade Taiwan, that would be the biggest impact we've seen to
the global economy — possibly ever," Glenn O'Donnell, the vice president and
research director at Forrester
Brookings, March 1 2005, Preventing a war over Taiwan
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/preventing-a-war-over-taiwan/
Asia Society, October 13 2022, Avoiding a war over Taiwan
https://asiasociety.org/center-us-china-relations/avoiding-war-over-taiwan
