Part 2 National and Regional Reports, Part 2.2 Asia: Coordinated by Yuko Nishitani and Béligh Elbalti, 38 Taiwan: Taiwanese Perspectives on the Hague Principles

Abstract

This chapter highlights Taiwanese perspectives on the Hague Principles. The Act Governing the Choice of Law in Civil Matters Involving Foreign Elements is the primary source of choice of law rules in Taiwan’s private international law (Taiwanese PIL Act). Party autonomy is set up as a prioritized connecting factor for the choice of law rules on contracts under the Taiwanese PIL Act. Due to the fact that Taiwan is not a Member State to most of the international organizations such as the Hague Conference on Private International Law, the source of Taiwan’s private international law is mainly domestic law. Being a non-binding instrument, the Hague Principles can be taken into consideration in Taiwan as an informal source of choice of law rules on contracts. However, the Hague Principles do not provide for rules determining the applicable law in the absence of the parties’ choice. Article 20 of the Taiwanese PIL Act is, in this respect, more comprehensive. Nonetheless, the Hague Principles may be used to interpret, supplement, and further develop rules only to Article 20(1) concerning party autonomy and the limitation on that autonomy such as public policy.