“L’isola di fronte alla Cina”: la sfida della sicurezza di Taiwan - "The Island Facing China": Taiwan's Security Challenge

Abstract

On account of its size, population and capabilities, a middle power like Taiwan inevitably finds itself characterized by fewer resources, as well as more limited room for manoeuvre and margins of projection, vis-à-vis the larger States in the region. Taiwan’s security challenge, therefore, is primarily one of a structural nature. In addition, the Republic of China (ROC), as Taiwan officially calls itself, with its complex history and geopolitical peculiarities, experiences a unique security paradigm. Starting from such premises, this article examines the security dynamics of the island, in crucial phases of its recent history, under the looming territorial ambitions of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Over time, different Taiwanese leaderships have been striving to manage and adjust to the changing Cross-Strait security environment. Presently, Taiwan continues to adroitly pursue its national security, and preserve its very existence as a polity, in a strategic game in which the main players remain China and the United States of America.