Rockin' the boat on a renegade isle: Taiwan's drive to independence

The current cross-Strait conflict between mainland China and Taiwan ( Formosa) has the potential to change the face of international politics. After decades of political uncertainty, the Taiwanese government is giving serious consideration to the idea of declaring the island jurisdiction an independent state. Whether or not this political position stems from continued pressure from the People's Republic of China, or whether there are alternative forces at work, the long term consequences of the Taiwanese people gaining their political independence could be potentially destabilizing for both Asia and the remainder of the world. Instead of the island becoming a shining beacon of democracy for mainland China as some international experts had hoped, Taiwan's transition to democracy has created a less than positive political environment between the two powers.

The purpose of this research is to examine the nature of cross-Strait relations between China and Taiwan, and to determine the legitimacy of Taiwan's argument, indeed, its claim for independent status within the context of self-determination and contending approaches to sovereign status within the realm of international law.