The meaning of the ocean for the state in contemporary Taiwan since 1949: understanding state perceptions of the ocean through a historical approach

Abstract

This study applies Philip Steinberg's models of perceptions of the ocean and his territorial political economics to interpret the ocean policy, marine laws and maritime acts of the Republic of China against the historical context of contemporary Taiwan. I outline the trajectory of the state's perception of the ocean. This perception has changed from that of the Indian Ocean Model into a Mediterranean-Freitian perception regarding the maritime activities of Taiwan after 1949. In the 1990s, the perception assimilated elements of the Mediterranean-Grotian style of perception from international maritime treaties. Moreover, the state absorbed elements of the Mediterranean-Seldenian type and the Micronesia Model. The experiences of current Taiwanese politics may help add a novel type or subtype of perceptions to Steinberg's existing classification.