U.S.-Asia Law Institute

Military drills by the People’s Republic of China around self-ruled Taiwan are larger and more frequent than ever. Chinese warplanes, drones, balloons, and naval ships now enter Taiwan’s airspace and waters on a daily basis. At the United Nations and other international venues, Chinese authorities never overlook an opportunity to reiterate their message: Taiwan belongs to the PRC. In this installment of our occasional speaker series, “Taiwan Legal,” we ask what PRC law says about the status of Taiwan, and how the Chinese party-state bases its claim in history and international law. Professor Bing Ling of University of Sydney will explain why Taiwan is so important to the PRC that China might risk a costly war to retake it.