6. Conclusions
6.2 Possible contributions
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Cross Strait trade subchapter of the economic chapter, can also be listed as an example.
Some of the restrictions are still valid because of security reasons. With these, the ROC is securing its economic advancement or the given areas are linked to the army, making it the keeper of military secrets, which cannot be leaked.
As a final summary, after stating the Cross Strait relation is asymmetric in every studied sector, it can be concluded that besides the general non-symmetry between the two actors, asymmetry in the studied sectors and asymmetry of capabilities characterizes and influences the relation between Taiwan and China. In other words, China can be identified with the greater actor, A in Brantly Womack’s theory of asymmetric connections, while Taiwan is taking the role of the weaker b in the same concept. However, it must be noted that this asymmetry is not as big as the general difference given in the population, the territory and the role in the international community.
This statement is supported by the professors who were interviewed. Yih Chyi Chuang stated that China is indeed greater, especially in the economical sector. This can be concluded despite the fact that its GDP per capita level is low, as it was mentioned in the related chapter of the current thesis. Taiwan can be identified as the smaller party, which proves the existence of asymmetry between the two actors.
(Chuang 201429)
Chia-Hsiung Chiang emphasizes the existence of the asymmetry in capabilities and sees non-symmetry as proven between China and Taiwan. In the international community, the ROC wishes to be treated as an equal and relevant actor, a separate identity and not as part of the PRC. (Chiang 201430)
6.2 Possible contributions
Finally the possible contributions that this thesis has have to be mentioned.
As noted in the introductions chapter, the main contribution that this current thesis aims to achieve is the filling of the gap that has existed, the lack of studies examining the asymmetric economical and military connection of the Cross Strait relations. In the political and international affairs sectors, more such essays and articles are available –
29: Information gathered during the interview with Yih Chyi Chuang was included in this paragraph.
30: Information gathered during the interview with Chia-Hsiung Chiang was included in this paragraph.
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at times using the phrase power asymmetry instead of theory of asymmetry -, but none cover the two specific spheres discussed here. However, as it was demonstrated in the chapter on economics, this specific sector, the economic sphere, contributed to both parties’ developments, moving ahead and strengthening their position in the international community. China is the “factory of the world” and Taiwan’s electronics and information-technology branch is well-known all around the globe. The cooperation and connection between these economies are to other actors’ interests as well and so they should pay attention to the future and forming economic relations across the Taiwan Strait.
The influence and the questions of the military sector of the Cross Strait may not necessarily be considered relevant by other nations, especially states that are not located in the region or the area close to a possible conflict between China and Taiwan.
Nevertheless, the effects of a war would also influence the noninvolved countries. For example, as mentioned in the chapters, China’s economy and Beijing’s economical connections would suffer from a possible conflict and as nearly every state in the world has important economical relations with the PRC, their economies would be influences and would suffer as well.
Besides broadening the viewpoint of the discussed theory via the introduction of the economic and the military sectors, the concept of asymmetric connection’s political limitations were also challenged in the thesis. Brantly Womack only studied states with autocratic systems, such as the PRC and Vietnam. In this current study, the democratically governed Taiwan was successfully introduced into the theory, proving that not only autocratic states can be focused on and examined through the asymmetric connection’s theory.
Womack’s thoughts were challenged through these broadenings, which also contribute to the concept prospectively being able to describe and study the states of its focus more realistically, examining the countries as the complex and multilayered systems that they are. As a result, as mentioned above, the limitations of the theory have been stretched, making this possibly the most important contribution of the current thesis, which can be used and referred to by other scholars and experts in the future.
It is due to the above listed reasons that governments and scholars should pay attention to the connection between Beijing and Taipei. Reading and analyzing this study, which describes the basics of the asymmetric relations across the Taiwan Strait,
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broader studies and more specific policies could be concluded. As such, this could be one of the most important contributions of the current thesis.However, it is not just third states that could benefit for the study. As Taipei and Beijing are at the center of the study, it goes without saying that they could also apply the thoughts on asymmetric connections to form their current policies and make the most suitable and beneficial plans for the future of both Cross Strait relations and their connections to the US and other third countries.
In an additional note, it has to added here that the United States’ government can also use the studies on the asymmetric connections – or rather the asymmetric triangular connections theory - to optimize its present and future steps and actions taken when dealing and interfering in its bilateral connections or the triangular ones with China and Taiwan. However, given its special position and responsibilities, it will have other deductions from current and foreseeable future of the connections across the Taiwan Strait and the area as a whole, than other, third states and so will construct different plans of action.
The asymmetry theory can be used to describe several of the international connection that China built and is constantly managing, on the thought that it mutually benefits not just Beijing but the other state as well and the series of negotiations with the weaker partners whose autonomy is accepted by China. Nothing characterizes the PRC’s success in managing these asymmetric relations better that its success in the Southeast Asian region. It recognizes that regional concerns should be solved through the cooperation of the individual states, instead of leaving them to become even more complex and perilous. Beijing’s actions – which among others include participating in multilateral institutes in the region – resulted in the discussed region being less concerned about China’s rise. (Womack 2010)
As the connection between China and Taiwan has successfully been placed into the given theoretical framework, so can relations with similar characteristics. As noted by Womack above, many of the PRC’s connections with other states can be typified as a non-symmetric one and as so their relation can be studied as one. As so, the current study is not only important in the context of relations between Taipei and Beijing, but also when analyzing China and its connections. This may be considered as more relevant by certain third actors, as they only have active diplomatic and non-official relations with the PRC, but not necessarily with the ROC.
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If the tendencies described in the current study will be stable and no sudden changes, shifts or actions will interfere the present builtup of both Taiwan’s and China’s and the PRC’s connections to third states, the asymmetric connections theory will be the lasting and it will continue to the a valid basis of concept to study these connections. In the case of Cross Strait relations, the growth of interdependence or rather the dependence of Taiwan on the mainland will grow. As a result, the economical asymmetry between them will also increase. In the military sector, the strengthening of the People’s Liberation Army is continuous and constant, while on the island even the modernizational efforts are not enough to keep up with the military advancement on the other side of the Taiwan Strait. It can be predicted that this situation will be not change, which leads to the presumptions that the existing asymmetric connections in the military sphere will be describing the future as well.
Additionally, future elaborations have to be added concerning China and third states, according to Brantly Womack’s description above. Asymmetric connections will presumably prevail in these relations as well. China’s rise and continuous increase and stabilization of its powers will lead to the strengthening of these non-symmetric relations. Taiwan, China and third states, including the United States and its special position are all able to use studies based on the asymmetric connections theory and the asymmetric triangular connections concept to build their policies for present and future actions and steps.
As a conclusion, asymmetry is a possible thought that every actor can safely base its present and future policies and plans on.
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