North Korea–Taiwan relations
Map indicating locations of Taiwan and North Korea

Taiwan
North Korea

North Korean–Taiwan relations (Chinese: 中華民國—朝鮮民主主義人民共和國關係; Korean: 조선민주주의인민공화국-중화민국 관계)

On April 13, 1919; the Republic of China recognized the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea. The Nationalist government of China participated in the Cairo Conference which resulted in the Cairo Declaration with the aim of freeing Korea and Taiwan from Japanese colonial rule. After the communist takeover of Mainland China in 1949 and the establishment of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in 1948, relations between the two are non-existent, however, unofficial relations are significant.[1]

Independence of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Korean War

The Japanese Empire had ruled Korea and Formosa, ended after World War II, which led the division of Korea, then followed by a period of trusteeship by Soviet occupation in the north as well as the retrocession of Taiwan and Penghu the months followed. Initially, China, who recognized the Korean Provisional Government, was adamantly opposed to Soviet influence in Korea after hearing about Soviet atrocities in Poland since its "liberation".[2] By the Cairo Conference, the US and China came to agree on Korean independence "in due course", with China still pressing for immediate recognition of the exile government and a tangible date for independence. After Soviet-American relations deteriorated, on August 10, 1945 the United States Department of War agreed that China should land troops in Pusan, Korea from which to prevent a Soviet takeover. However, this turnaround was too late to prevent the division of Korea, as the Red Army quickly occupied northern Korea that same month.[2] On 9 September 1948, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) was declared in the Soviet-occupied zone with Kim Il Sung as premier.[3]

In 1949, the People's Republic of China (PRC) was proclaimed following the Chinese Civil War and the Republic of China (ROC), whose government relocated to Taiwan.[4]

The United Nations condemned North Korea's military aggression against Republic of Korea in United Nations Security Council Resolution 82 and United Nations Security Council Resolution 84. The ROC voted in favor of both United Nations resolutions. During the Korean War, the ROC was an opponent of the DPRK while it supplied material aid to ROK,[5] while the Red Chinese regime gave DPRK combatants to support the Red Chinese People's Volunteer Army.[6]

Cold War years

The ROC had opposed socialism, as well as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and People's Republic of China (PRC). Due to its hostility, the ROC has not recognized or formed a diplomatic relationship with the DPRK and PRC governments. Because of this, the government of the ROC also considered the Republic of Korea government as the sole legitimate state in the Korean peninsula.[7]

Both countries were in the opposite sides in the Vietnam War in which North Korea supported the North Vietnamese government while Nationalist China was allied with the South Vietnamese leadership.

Recent history

Due to its status as a non-United Nations (UN) nation the ROC is not bound by UN sanctions against North Korea. However, the Taiwanese government has implemented a number of laws and regulations which mirror UN and US restrictions on trade with North Korea.[8]

It has been reported that North Korea offered to sell Taiwan submarine designs in 2016.[1] Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense has denied the reports saying "In the development of our submarines there has never been, there is not now and will never be any contact with North Korea; assistance is all provided by important countries in Europe and the United States."[9]

North Korea kidnapped a Taiwanese woman named Shen Jing-yu from mainland Japan in 1987 and brought her to North Korea

ROC Premier Lai Ching-te approved a total ban on trade between the ROC and North Korea in September 2017.[10] Taiwanese businessmen have been accused of selling coal, oil and gas to North Korea, as well as importing North Korean textiles and employing North Koreans on Taiwanese fishing vessels.[10]

In 2018 United Nations (UN) investigators alleged that Taiwanese entities were engaged in transferring oil to North Korea in violation of UN sanctions.[11]

In 2019 Taiwanese authorities indicted six people over ship-to-ship transfers of oil to North Korea.[12]

In 2020 Taiwan reassured the United States that it was complying with UN sanctions against North Korea.[13]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Kennedy, Pamela (14 May 2019). "Taiwan and North Korea: Star-Crossed Business Partners". www.38north.org. 38 North. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  2. 1 2 Liu, Xiaoyuan. "Resume China's Korean Connection". Recast All Under Heaven: Revolution, War, Diplomacy, and Frontier China in the 20th Century. pp. 40–43, 45, 48–49, 51–52, 56–57.
  3. ↑ Hosch, William L., ed. (2009). The Korean War and The Vietnam War: People, Politics, and Power. New York: Britannica Educational Publishing. p. 25. ISBN 978-1-61530-011-2.
  4. ↑ Li, Xiaobing, ed. (2012). China at War: An Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO. p. 50. ISBN 978-1-59884-415-3.
  5. ↑ "The 60th Anniversary of the Korean War: UN Allies". Archived from the original on 2012-01-23. International organizations as well as the UN member nations, such as Brazil, China, Cuba, Ecuador, Iceland, Lebanon, Liberia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela, helped Korea with materials support.
  6. ↑ "Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, China and Japan, Volume XIV, Part 1 - Office of the Historian".
  7. ↑ Goodman, David (2015). Handbook of the Politics of China. ISBN 9781782544371. Retrieved 29 September 2017. "Seoul recognized Taiwan as the sole legitimate government of China"
  8. ↑ Rich, Timothy; Dahmer, Andi (7 August 2017). "Trading with the Hermit Kingdom: Taiwan and North Korea in Times of Sanctions". sentinel.tw. Taiwan Sentinel. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  9. ↑ "Taiwan says European countries helping with submarine project". Reuters. 3 April 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  10. 1 2 White, Edward (29 January 2018). "Taiwanese suspected of shipping coal from North Korea to Vietnam". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 30 January 2018.
  11. ↑ Jennings, Ralph (5 January 2018). "Taiwan investigators say ship transferred oil to North Korea in defiance of sanctions". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  12. ↑ "Taiwan indicts 6 over illegal ship-to-ship oil transfers to North Korea". www.taiwannews.com.tw. Taiwan News. 12 September 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  13. ↑ "Taiwan tells U.S. it is complying with North Korea sanctions". Reuters. 19 May 2020. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
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