Is Taiwan an Independent Country

Taiwan, whose people elect their own leaders and whose government controls a defined area of territory with its own military, passport and currency, enjoys de facto independence even if that is not formally recognised by most countries.

For decades, the Republic of China in Taipei also claimed to be the legitimate Chinese government, but ⁠in 1971 Beijing took over the China seat at the United Nations from Taipei. Currently only 12 countries maintain formal ties with Taipei, ...

unofficial ties with Taiwan, and expelling Taiwan from ... U.S. State Department stated that Resolution 2758 “puts no · limits on any country’s sovereign choice to engage

The PRC's One China principle states that Taiwan and mainland China are both part of China, and that the PRC is the only legitimate government of China. It seeks to prevent or reduce any formal recognition of the ROC as an independent sovereign state, meaning that Taiwan participates in many international forums as a non-state member under names such as "Chinese Taipei". The PRC has suggested the "one country, two systems" concept employed in Hong Kong as a model for a peaceful unification with Taiwan.

From 2000 to 2008 and since 2016, ... seeking to represent China, and affirms its position that Taiwan is already a sovereign country in its own right under the name "Republic of China" and not subordinate to the PRC....

Naming issues surrounding Taiwan/ROC ... faced considerable controversy naming its Taiwanese branch. ... ^ Established relations with the PRC on 8 September 1997, but restored ties with the ROC on 26 April 2007. ... ^ As of 2026, the majority of UN member states continue to recognize ...

Professor Crawford argues that Taiwan is not a state because it has not explicitly declared independence. This has been the standard explanation given for why Taiwan is not a state.