A Study of the Republic of China as a ‘Political and Territorial Entity’ in the System of International Relations

Abstract

The article offers an insight into the circumstances of the emergence, particular features, and prospects of the existence of the Republic of China as an unrecognized state. Specifically, the authors clarify the content of the notion ‘unrecognised state’, which is to be interpreted as a type of a temporary political and territorial entity in the form of a state that does not possess formal characteristics of a member of the world community. The article also identifies the phenomenon ‘Republic of China’ through the specific singular notion ‘unrecognised state’ and outlines a conceptual framework, which allows concluding that there is only one realistic scenario of the country’s future existence, namely uniting with the People’s Republic of China into a single state within one country through political and legal unification. According to the authors, the Republic of China currently finds itself at the democratic phase of its development in the form of an unrecognised state. Together with leading countries, it is deeply integrated into the world system, being not only a component of the globalised world but also one of the factors contributing to the spread of globalization processes into the mega level of social existence. Drawing upon the research on the problems in the emergence and functioning of new political and territorial entities in the form of unrecognised states conducted by Ukrainian and foreign scholars, it can be argued that the notion ‘unrecognised state’ is yet to be finally defined. Therefore, correct identification of new political and territorial entities is impossible. The authors propose, at the level of political leadership, devising and approving a foreign policy strategy of launching and building relations between Ukraine and the Republic of China in the economic and humanitarian fields, using the international experience of establishing economic and cultural offices in partner states. Keywords: system of international relations, political and territorial entity, state, unrecognized state, the Republic of China.