Quick China Facts
Women remain underrepresented in CCP
The progress of women in business in China is commendable. However, there is a noticeable lack of female leaders in government, which has been a setback for women’s representation. Despite the Communist Party’s efforts to increase female participation, the proportion of women party members only reached 29% in 2021 compared to 24% in 2012. In terms of senior positions within the central committee, women currently hold just 8% out of a total of 371 positions, down from 10% in 2007. Additionally, out of China’s 31 provincial-level governors, only two are women. Even within the Politburo with its current count of 25 members, only one woman is present, and she is expected to retire soon.
News From Asia This Week
India Refuses To Pay For Russian Oil in Yuan
Russia has excess Indian rupee and now wants to oil trade to be settled in Yuan, though the Indian side is not likely to agree to this, Bloomberg reported on Friday, 20th October, 2023.
Pakistan Buys Russian Oil Through China
Pakistan Refinery Limited (PRL) will purchase crude oil from Russia under a long term contract. This contract will not violate any other international commitment by Pakistan nor any international frameworks governing such transactions.PRL has also inked an agreement with the Chinese company United Energy Group (UEG) . According to the agreement UEG will invest $1.5 billion dollars in the expansion of PRL’s production capacity and upgrade the oil refinery in Karachi.Earlier in June 2023, PRL had received 1 lakh tonnes of Russian crude oil in two batches. These transactions were fulfilled in Chinese Currency. In August 2023 Pakistan had suspended Russian crude oil purchase due to problems occurring in the refinement process. Under the new contract PRL is expected to recieve the first cargo of Russian crude oil in December 2023.
Key candidates for the Indonesian Presidential Election
Indonesia is preparing for its upcoming presidential election in February, the world’s largest direct presidential vote. Approximately 204.8 million people are eligible to vote, and candidates from 24 parties will be vying for positions as national and regional lawmakers. Three prominent candidates are expected to join the race: Ganjar Pranowo, a two-time election veteran, Prabowo Subianto, and Anies Baswedan. Opinion polls suggest that Pranowo and Subianto are in a close competition, with the right choice of running mate potentially making the difference. A runoff election is expected as none of the tickets is likely to secure more than half of the votes, with the second round scheduled for June 26, 2024.
Mathematician warns US spies may be weakening next-gen encryption
Daniel Bernstein at the University of Illinois Chicago says that the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is deliberately obscuring the level of involvement the US National Security Agency (NSA) has in developing new encryption standards for “post-quantum cryptography” (PQC). He also believes that NIST has made errors – either accidental or deliberate – in calculations describing the security of the new standards. NIST denies the claims.“NIST isn’t following procedures designed to stop NSA from weakening PQC,” says Bernstein. “People choosing cryptographic standards should be transparently and verifiably following clear public rules so that we don’t need to worry about their motivations. NIST promised transparency and then claimed it had shown all its work, but that claim simply isn’t true.”
What Israeli Intelligence Got Wrong About Hamas
Israel’s much-vaunted intelligence services failed to anticipate the Hamas attack—prompting comparisons between today and the similar failure 50 years ago to predict the Egyptian attack that launched the 1973 Arab-Israeli War. But there’s a strong chance that Israeli intelligence had the pieces it needed to detect an assault that involved the dispatch of perhaps 1,000 or more militants and more than 2,000 missiles. As in 1973, however, the power of preconceived ideas may have prevented the intelligence from being put together—especially given the toxic relationship between a far-right government and the intelligence services.
British colonialism increased diabetes in south Asians
People of south Asian origin today are between four and six times more likely to get type 2 diabetes than white people. While the role of diet and lifestyle has been explored, it’s only recently that the impact of the disproportionate number of famines under British colonial rule has been uncovered. Neelam Tailor looks into the history of famines during the British Raj and their lasting impact on south Asian genes. Watch The Guardian’s documentary.
Japan pushes to sell more sea food to Southeast Asia
Japan is pushing seafood export to the South-East Asia but it may not be an easy sell as consumers remain wary about the safety of Japanese seafood.
Fearing China, South Korea targets firms building Taiwan navy submarines
South Korean authorities cited the risk of Chinese economic retaliation when they charged marine technology firm SI Innotec last year with violating trade laws for its work on Taiwan’s new military submarine program.
Japan tells G20 it may need to act in FX market
Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki said on Friday he told his G20 counterparts that Tokyo may need to take “appropriate action” in the exchange-rate market as global monetary tightening could heighten volatility in currency moves.
China’s chip imports decline 15% in first nine months of 2023 as the country braces for a new round of US tech export controls
China’s semiconductor imports declined 14.6 per cent year on year in the first nine months of 2023, as the country braces for a new round of US tech export controls that the Biden administration will reportedly impose.
South Korea bolsters its border defences, fearing Hamas-style attack from North
Analysts estimate North Korea could pummel Seoul with some 16,000 rockets and shells in the first hour of a surprise attack like the one on Israel. A Hamas-style assault would be devastating, though some observers suggest the Palestinian militant group actually ‘learned from North Korean tactics’.
Biden to visit Israel as Gaza war sparks humanitarian crisis
U.S. President Joe Biden will make a high-stakes visit to Israel on Wednesday as the country prepares to escalate an offensive against Hamas militants that has set off a humanitarian crisis in Gaza and raised fears of a broader conflict with Iran.
Malaysia pulls out of Frankfurt Book Fair citing organisers’ pro-Israel stance
Malaysia’s education ministry has withdrawn from participating in this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair, accusing the organisers of taking a pro-Israel stance, amid growing global divisions over the ongoing conflict between Israeli and Palestinian forces.
Belt and Road Forum kicks off with Xi Jinping to lay out new pitch
Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to outline his views on the past and future of the Belt and Road Initiative, as Beijing hosts world dignitaries on Tuesday and Wednesday at a forum marking the 10th anniversary of its signature foreign policy strategy. The BRI seems to be grinding to a halt as per analysts.
Attack on Gaza hospital ‘unprecedented’ in scale, WHO says
A strike on the Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in the north of the Gaza Strip that killed hundreds was “unprecedented in scale,” the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday, condemning the attack.
Israeli protesters mobilise to help survivors of Hamas attack but anger at Netanyahu remains
Gaza-based Palestinian Hamas militant group killed some 1,300 people on Israeli soil, Israeli reservists operating under the name Brothers in Arms who have halted their protests and who have not been called to serve in the military for the war have mobilized to help victims and survivors.“Everything that theoretically, the government should have done was initially organized by the protest movements,” – Guy Poran Leader of The Protests.
US further restricts China from AI chips to hinder military development
The United States released new rules on Tuesday to further restrict China’s access to advanced chips and chipmaking tools, the latest in a series of measures aimed at curbing China’s technological and military advances.
Philippines’ ‘Bongbong’ Marcos suspends implementation of sovereign wealth fun
Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has suspended the implementation of the country’s first sovereign wealth fund, his communications office said on Wednesday (Oct 18).Marcos Jr issued a suspension “because he wanted to study carefully the (implementing rules and regulation) to ensure that the purpose of the fund will be realised for the country’s development with safeguards in place for transparency and accountability”, according to the Executive Secretary’s office.
Pakistan’s ex-PM Nawaz Sharif seeks protection from arrest ahead of return from voluntary exile
Sharif has been in voluntary exile in London until this month, is expected to return home Saturday. He stepped down in 2017 after being convicted of corruption. He has been wanted by Pakistani authorities since 2020, when a court issued a warrant for his arrest after he failed to return home from London. A court in Islamabad briefly heard Sharif’s plea for bail and adjourned the hearing until Thursday, according to his lawyer Amjad Pervez.
Russian foreign minister thanks North Korea for supporting its war in Ukraine
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov thanked North Korea for supporting the country’s war efforts in Ukraine and pledged Moscow’s “complete support and solidarity” for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Russia’s foreign ministry said.Lavrov arrived in Pyongyang on Wednesday for meetings seen as setting the stage for a visit by President Vladimir Putin, who has stepped up cooperation with politically isolated North Korea.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah says it is stronger than before as border clashes rage
Lebanon’s Hezbollah warned its adversaries on Wednesday it was “thousands of times stronger” than before, as its fighters exchanged fire at the border with Israeli forces in violence fuelled by the war between Hamas and Israel.
US vetoes UN Security Council action on Israel, Gaza
The United States vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution on Wednesday that would have called for humanitarian pauses in the conflict between Israel and Palestinian Hamas militants to allow humanitarian aid access to the Gaza Strip.The vote on the Brazilian-drafted text was twice delayed in the last couple of days as the United States tries to broker aid access to Gaza. Twelve members voted in favor of the draft text on Wednesday, while Russia and Britain abstained.
Biden to seek billions in military aid for Israel as invasion of Gaza nears
President Joe Biden on Thursday asked Americans to spend billions more dollars to help Israel fight Hamas while Israel’s defence chief told his troops to be ready to go into the Gaza Strip to destroy the Palestinian militant group. The president, who made an eight-hour visit to Israel on Wednesday, also stressed the urgency of getting relief to Palestinian civilians in Gaza who lack food, water and medicine. The package could be as much as US$ 14 Billion.
Japan Defense minister calls on China for ‘dialogue’
Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara on Friday called on China for “dialogue” to resolve differences, opposing unilateral change to the status quo by force. The Indo-Pacific region is currently “at a crossroad between ‘cooperation and harmony’ and ‘conflict and discord,'” Kihara said in a video speech at a symposium organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies of the U.S. and Nikkei in Tokyo.
Taliban plans to join China’s Belt and Road Initiative
The Taliban administration wants to formally join Chinese President Xi Jinping’s huge Belt and Road infrastructure initiative and will send a technical team to China for talks, Afghanistan’s acting commerce minister said on Thursday. Beijing has sought to develop its ties with the Taliban-run government since it took over in 2021, even though no other foreign government has recognized the administration.
US Navy warship near Yemen intercepted projectiles, Pentagon says
A U.S. Navy warship on Thursday intercepted three cruise missiles and several drones launched by the Iran-aligned Houthi movement from Yemen potentially toward Israel, the Pentagon said. Washington is on heightened alert for activity by Iran-backed groups as regional tensions soar during the Israel-Hamas war.
Who will succeed Jokowi?
Indonesia is set to open registrations for the February elections to replace Joko Widodo, the incumbent Indonesian president.As many as 204.8 million people are eligible to cast ballots on Feb. 14 in the globe’s largest direct presidential vote. They also will elect national and regional lawmakers, choosing candidates from among 24 parties that have passed screenings by the General Elections Commission.The elections for the world’s fourth most populous country are very important especially as its stature in the world grows on the back of economic growth, and its leadership of ASEAN.
Beyond The Great wall
Exploring News About China in Depth
China GDP growth slows to 4.9% but beats forecast
China’s economic growth has slowed down to 4.9% from 6.3% last year this quarter. However, the slow growth still managed to beat the estimate of 4.4%. On a quarter to quarter basis this is also higher at 1.3% instead of the 0.8% it was last quarter. During this quarter the Chinese authorities made several rate cuts to boost borrowing by households and businesses. Along with this there has also been an investment in fixed assets to the tune of 37.5 Trillion Yuan ($ 5.1 Trillion) up by 6% even after accounting for inflation. Nikkei has reported the following from Harry Murphy Cruise an economist at Moody’s Analytics, said retail sales in September outperformed analysts’ expectations.
“The tides are slowly turning on China’s shaky recovery,” he said in a note on Wednesday. “Supported by a flurry of stimulus measures, households and businesses gradually upped their spending through the September quarter.”
The Belt & Road Initiative Forum in China, shows the tensions mounting in BRI
Xi defended his flagship Belt and Road Initiative, casting the $1 trillion program as a driver of global growth while saying those that view it as a threat are doing themselves a disservice. However, there was a palpable less interest this time round with a lot of head of states and government giving it a miss only 3 European countries showed up with their leadership, one of them being Russia, and the others being Hungarian PM Viktor Orban, and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. The 2017 Belt and Road Forum counted 30 heads of state or government in attendance, including China’s own Xi Jinping. The 2019 edition expanded to 37 top leaders. This year, however, despite being the first Belt and Road Forum in four years and the big ten-year anniversary celebration to boot, just 23 heads of state or government attended.
“China can only do well when the world in doing well,” Xi said as he opened the forum at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to mark the 10th anniversary of his signature project. “When China does well, the world will get even better.” The world does not seem willing to agree.
China Sets Four Conditions on Xi – Biden Summit
A senior Chinese diplomat speaking at the Institute for China – America studies in Washington welcomed the possibility of summit between President Xi, and President Biden but only if China is feel welcomed. Nikkei quoted Xu Xueyuan, deputy chief of mission of the Chinese Embassy in the USA. The four conditions are:
(1) Taiwan, (2) democracy and human rights, (3) China’s path to development and its political and economic system, and (4) China’s right to development.
Russia drives wheat prices to near 3-year low with export push
Global wheat prices have sunk to their lowest level in about three years as Russia pushes exports of a bumper crop, easing food inflation while driving up concerns about an over-reliance on Russian grain. The current market price is nearly 60% lower than the $13 reached in March 2022, just after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russian wheat is taking the place of falling exports from Ukraine and an expected weak harvest in Australia, the lowest price reached by wheat was US$ 5 range per bushel in late September.
BRI Secretariat To Come Up
The recently concluded BRI Forum had one concrete announcement worth noting though – Xi mentioned establishing a secretariat for BRI. This would institutionalize the forum, providing Beijing with another diplomatic venue where it can set the agenda, according to Dongshu Liu, assistant professor specializing in Chinese politics at the City University of Hong Kong.
MI5 Head Warns of Epic Scale of Chinese Espionage
The Chinese are obtaining commercial secrets by online espionage, asserted Ken McCallum, MI5 chief at the meeting of Five Eyes Alliance in California. We also made a short documentary on it, watch it here – China’s great IP Theft https://youtu.be/n1F_vKP0o9Q?si=VDa9qEJGhx-yMt67
India’s Tik-Tok Clones Have Failed?
The Morning Context has put out an interesting piece that looks at the Indian clones of the viral Chinese app Tik-Tok and how they never managed to scale up. The Venture Capital industry funded between US$ 3 Billion between 2019 to 2022 in order to produce a local home grown short video startup, three years after the Tik-Tok ban there is no real alternative to it in India. The VC firms that had made a beeline on the back of promise of getting a new crop of users who were traditionally away from the likes of Twitter, and Instagram but were tapped by Tik-Tok will be available to this segment, as Harveen Ahluwalia writes it becomes clear it was a lemon, and she takes a closer look at the creation of this lemon. Read the full piece here, https://themorningcontext.com/internet/the-deceit-of-indias-tiktok-clones (Paywalled)
Global AI Governance Initiative Launched
On October 18, President Xi Jinping introduced the Global AI Governance Initiative in his keynote speech at the Opening Ceremony of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. In his keynote speech to the Opening Ceremony of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, President Xi Jinping announced that China will launch the Global AI Governance Initiative. It is part of China’s active effort to advance the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind and the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative.
The Initiative systematically outlines China’s proposals on AI governance from three aspects, namely, the development, security and governance of AI. The core components of the Initiative are: We should uphold a people-centered approach in developing AI and adhere to the principle of developing AI for the good of humanity, so that AI is developed in a way that is beneficial to human progress; We should uphold the principles of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit in AI development, and oppose drawing ideological lines or forming exclusive groups to obstruct other countries from developing AI; We should promote the establishment of a testing and assessment system based on AI risk levels, so as to make AI technologies more secure, reliable, controllable and equitable; We support efforts to develop AI governance frameworks, norms and standards based on broad consensus and with full respect for policies and practices among countries, and support discussions within the United Nations framework to establish an international institution to govern AI; Efforts should be made to conduct international cooperation with and provide assistance to developing countries, to bridge the gap in AI and its governance capacity. The Initiative presents a constructive approach to addressing universal concerns over AI development and governance and drew up blueprints for relevant international discussions and rule-making. China stands ready to have exchanges and practical cooperation with all sides on global AI governance and deliver benefit for all human beings through AI technology.
Japan defense minister calls on China for ‘dialogue’
Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara on Friday called on China for “dialogue” to resolve differences, opposing unilateral change to the status quo by force.
The Indo-Pacific region is currently “at a crossroad between ‘cooperation and harmony’ and ‘conflict and discord,'” Kihara said in a video speech at a symposium organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies of the U.S. and Nikkei in Tokyo.
“There are people in the Indo-Pacific region who are living in fear and distrust that something as serious as the invasion of Ukraine may happen [in the region],” he said, referring to security threats such as activities similar to China’s maritime expansion and North Korea’s missile launches.
China sees Russia partnership as crucial to its great-power ambitions and is developing ability to ‘win wars’: Pentagon
Robert Delaney from Washington writes in today’s SCMP, China views its “ no-limits” partnership with Russia as integral to advancing the PRC’s emergence as a great power, the US government said on Thursday, in assessment that also warned the Asian giant is ahead of US projections on nuclear warhead deployment and could be developing missile systems capable of hitting US targets. The US Defence Department called out China for “providing material support” for Russia’s war, intensifying military pressure against Taiwan and ignoring repeated requests for bilateral dialogue as the country modernises in preparation to fight a “strong enemy”, which the Pentagon assumed was the US.
Wang Yi’s statement on Belt & Road Leads To Internet Backlash in China: Nikkei
Nikei has reported that Wang Yi, Chinese top diplomat’s statement supporting the Belt and Road Initiative has attracted heavy criticism back home, “You can’t politicize everything; we can’t fall into the trap of political paranoia,” Wang said in a news conference. The statement attracted negative opinions from China, we are citing the two used by Nikkei Sina Weibo user Laohongmao commented: “Why don’t you take a look at how people in the bottom socioeconomic class live [in China]?”Another annonymous user asked: “Can you compete domestically first to see who can make people’s lives better?”. The sluggish economy has led to a lot of Chinese citizens wondering if the CCP is equipped to handle the economy.
China stocks slide continues despite Beijing’s market support
Last week we had reported that the Chinese government was inbound to support local stock markets, and yet this week even though the numbers from the GDP evaluation have been positive, the markets continue to slide. The Shanghai Composite Index has hit an year to low on Thursday, The index fell 1.74% to 3,005 on Thursday, the lowest close in 11 months and near the 3,000 threshold last breached on Nov. 3. These measures align with the Communist Party’s Politburo highlighting the need to “invigorate the capital markets” on July 24. Taking cues from this officials announced a relief package on 18th August, 2023, and just last week Central Huijin Investment – a unit of sovereign wealth fund China Investment Corp. – bought more shares in China’s four largest state-owned banks. State-owned enterprises such as petroleum company Sinopec and Baoshan Iron & Steel increased stock buybacks. These are all short term measures and do not do anything to change the long term corporate value.
China PLA stationed up to 6 warships in Middle East over past week amid rising tensions from Israel-Gaza war: reports
Up to six Chinese warships have been operating in the Middle East over the past week, according to reports. The 44th naval escort task force has been involved in routine operations in the area since May and last week spent several days on a visit to Oman, including a joint exercise with the country’s navy, according to the Chinese defense ministry website. The task force left the capital Muscat on Saturday, en route for an unspecified destination, Xinhua reported.
Scientists say Western sanctions against China ‘toothless’ without better supply chain data
We are reporting an interesting piece from Holly Chik carried in today’s SCMP, Researchers in Europe and the US have called for the creation of an international map of supply connections between firms to improve transparency in global trade and help Western companies comply with sanctions.
“As policymakers increasingly recognise, supply chains are critical for ensuring compliance with tax laws, human rights and environmental standards,” the researchers said in an article published in the journal Science on Friday, citing US legislation to ban imports from Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and the draft European Union Supply Chain Act as examples.
But “without better supply chain transparency, these acts will remain rather toothless,” said lead author Anton Pichler, a postdoctoral fellow at the Vienna-based research organisation Complexity Science Hub.
More than 300 million firms are connected through an estimated 13 billion supply links in the global economy, according to the team, which includes researchers from Complexity Science Hub, Vienna University of Economics and Business, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Statistics Netherlands and Arizona State University. We will have our take on it next week.
Decypher Opinion: Reading China
In 2023, the list of self-made women billionaires continues to be dominated by Chinese women, which has been a consistent trend on the list for quite some time. This trend cannot be ignored in a society with a gender ratio skewed at 104.6 males for every 100 females.
This cultural shift towards female entrepreneurship in China can be attributed to various historical factors. Among these are legal reforms in the 1980s and 1990s that empowered women, followed by China’s broadening exposure to the world, which has put women on equal footing with men in accessing opportunities such as education, markets, and resources. This alignment with gender equality echoes Mao Zedong’s declaration during the 1968 Cultural Revolution – “Women hold up half the sky”.
The prominence of women entrepreneurs in China has also been fueled by the country’s cultural emphasis on education and hard work. Interestingly, the controversial one-child policy has been linked to a 30% rise in female education and a 50% reduction in gender gap. With further progression in its commitment to gender equality, China expanded its laws for protection of women’s rights in 2023, increasing the number of articles from 61 to 86.
Current statistics reveal that nearly 31% of businesses in China are owned by women, according to the 2018 Mastercard Index of Women Entrepreneurs. This places China ahead of Japan (17.6%) and nearly in line with Singapore (29.2%). In the tech sector, over half of the entrepreneurs are women. While women represent a quarter of all entrepreneurs in China, their presence in early-stage businesses surpasses the global average, suggesting a bright future for women in the Chinese business world, despite existing challenges.
One of China’s most successful women entrepreneurs, Wu Yajun, co-founder of Longfor Properties, holds her position as the sixth richest self-made woman in the world and the 236th richest individual overall. Wu navigated her journey through her co-founding of a real estate company listed in Hong Kong with her then husband. Post the divorce, she single-handedly helmed the company, until stepping down as chair due to the property market crash in China in October 2022.
A noteworthy observation is that in the past few years, there has been a downward trend on the list. Another observation is that self-made women in China often enter entrepreneurship by co-founding a company with their husbands, male relatives, or male mentors. These relationships provide women with crucial access to resources, networks, and expertise that might otherwise be difficult to obtain. This reflects the entrenched gender roles and power structures in Chinese business cultures. Recognizing and addressing these barriers is essential to promote gender equality and empower women entrepreneurs.
Opinion: Is Taiwan a Country or not?
Taiwan’s status as an independent country has long been a contentious issue in international affairs. While it meets the criteria for statehood under the 1933 Montevideo Convention, its recognition by other countries remains ambiguous. Recently, on August 30 2023, the UK Parliament added to the debate by calling Taiwan an ‘independent country’ in an official report. This has reignited the discussion about what it means to be a sovereign state in the modern world.
Under international law, a country’s existence doesn’t depend on recognition from other states. That’s based on the Montevideo Convention, which says an entity can be considered a country if it meets certain criteria – stuff like having a permanent population, a defined territory, and a government. However, this definition has been called into question by cases like the Republic of Rose Island – a short-lived artificial island off Italy that some say met the Montevideo criteria, but was ultimately destroyed by Italian authorities.
There are two main theories of statehood: the declarative theory and the constitutive theory. The declarative theory holds that a state is a state if it meets the criteria of the Montevideo Convention, regardless of whether other states recognize it. The constitutive theory, on the other hand, holds that a state is only a state if it is recognized by other states.
In the case of Taiwan, Most countries worldwide adhere to the “One China” policy, acknowledging Beijing as the capital of China and recognizing both the mainland and Taiwan as part of a single nation. The Republic of China, based in Taipei, identifies itself as the legitimate government, tracing its origins to the early 20th century, a time when Taiwan, then known as Formosa, was not part of China’s definition. It was only after Japan’s occupation of Taiwan that the Republic of China government retreated to the island in 1949. Since then, the People’s Republic of China has considered Taiwan as part of its “sacred territory.”
Taiwan meets the Montevideo Convention’s criteria for statehood according to its perspective. However, it has not formally declared itself an independent country. According to Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen, this is because Taiwan already functions as an independent nation, known as the Republic of China. However, the constitutive theory of statehood dictates that a country is only deemed a country when it receives recognition from the international community. This recognition is most prominently achieved through United Nations membership.
Taiwan was expelled from the United Nations in 1971, and it has not been able to rejoin since. Currently, only a few countries have official diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Until Taiwan formally declares independence or garners international recognition as an independent state, its status as a country will remain in question.
By Joshua Holzer, Westminster College (The Conversation).
