Research On Australia's Policy Towards Taiwan (1987-2007)

Situation in the Taiwan Strait is complex and complicated owing to the uncertainty of international factors, whereas the Australia's Policy and Taiwan-related position is often of neglection while general focus at home and abroad is concertrated on the United States' and Japan's Policy on Taiwan, however, as one of Taiwan's international factors, Australia's Policy adjustments on Taiwan shall also cause fair and firm attention.For further study, this article has selected the Australia's Policy towards Taiwan as the research object and the period of 1987 to 2007 as timeline, and, with the analysis view of the realism, liberalism and constructivism as the theoretical guidance, conducted a systematic combing of the Australia's Policy adjustments and evolution by its three governments during the twenty years when "Taiwan independents" were gradually formed and become more and more rampent, using comprehensive international relations theory of analytic hierarchy process(ahp) method, as well as the the basic research methods of historical analysis, sum-up and compare analysis, taking the new framework formation of Australia's Policy on Taiwan in 1990 as breakthrough point, supported by the latest declassified documents from the Australian national archives. The study reveals that Hawke Government established a far-reaching new framework of Policy on Taiwan; Keating Government tried to test the bottom line of the Chinese government time and again, and twicely, established the out-of-line Taiwan-related measures; Howard government affirmed and sustained the new Policy framework, and adjusted and regulated the specific measures of Policy on Taiwan at the same time, according to the change of international situation. Its reasons may lie on the international syetem changes on global level, the development of cross-strait relations, Australia-America aliance and the south Pacific disputes, national interest demands, political parties and leaders change on domestic level, which become internal and external factors of Australia's Policy on Taiwan. Australia's Policy adjustment on Taiwan, had, to a large extent, affected the bilateral relation between Australia and Taiwan. After the establishment of new Policy framework, the two sides began seeking interaction in many areas, and economic trade field naturally became the best choice for bilateral exchanges since there is no “diplomatic relations” at all. With the implementation of the new framework of Australia's Policy on Taiwan, bilateral trade volume and mutual investment are increasing constantly, and bilateral interactions are increasingly frequent in the areas of politics, culture, science and technology.It can be found through the summary and analysis of will be 20 years Australia's Policy evolution on Taiwan in 20 years that: First of all, the Australian government's basic position of “One China” Policy basic position never wavered. In 1990, the Hawke government introduced a new Policy frame on Taiwan new framework, which took “One China' position as a fundamental premise of the Policy implementation on Taiwan. Although the Australian government has experienced several times of ruling parties and leaders changes, and the Policy on Taiwan in different periods also occured varying degrees of changes, the idea has never changed that Australia's Policy on Taiwan belongs to China Policy framework, whereas the three Australian governments firmly hold the “One China" stand, and oppose to “Taiwan independents” in any form. Secondly, the tone is firmly set that Taiwan-related measure adjustments belong to the new framework of Policy on Taiwan established in 1990. Hawke government, based on its own situation and international situation, developed a brand new framework of Policy on Taiwan, after which, Keating and Howard successively made different degrees of adjustments on the Taiwan-related measures, but they never went beyond the framework system. Finally, the Australian government actively promotes Taiwan to join international or regional organizations as non-state actor. It is found from the study that international or regional organizations offer a platform and opportunity for Australia and Taiwan bilateral dialogues and exchanges; therefore, with the premise of “One China” as the bottom line, the Three Australian governments expressed fair support for Taiwan to join the international or regional organizations.For a long time, Australia's Taiwan-related measures are of no big actions, and its Policy adjustments on Taiwan and Macao are rarely taken seriously, so as Austrilian Taiwan relations, but its impact shall be reckoned with on China's internal affairs and diplomacy. Therefore, research on Australian Policy on Taiwan before and after the first party replacement in Taiwan, provides an important reality basis for further understanding and exploration of new China-Australia relations, in order to cope with the challenge of potential Taiwan Issue after the Democratic Progressive Party(DPP) comes to power again.