Relationship dossier
Australia
Taiwan
Relationship assessment
Substantive unofficial economic ties operate within the limits of Australia’s one-China policy.
Australia toward Taiwan
+30Australia maintains unofficial relations with Taiwan through representative offices and supports practical economic engagement. A bilateral tax agreement took effect in 2016. Australia does not recognize Taiwan diplomatically and maintains its one-China policy.
Taiwan toward Australia
+30Taiwan maintains unofficial relations with Australia through representative offices and participates in practical economic engagement. Taiwan and Australia concluded a bilateral tax agreement that took effect in 2016.
Overall relationship
+30The relationship combines practical, sustained economic engagement with the diplomatic constraints created by Australia’s one-China policy and Taiwan’s contested international status. The tax agreement and representative-office framework provide concrete channels for cooperation, though the breadth of government collaboration is uncertain.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Australia and Taiwan maintain substantial unofficial engagement, particularly in trade and investment, while Australia does not recognize Taiwan diplomatically and follows a one-China policy. A bilateral tax agreement took effect in 2016, and representative offices facilitate practical relations. These ties coexist with constraints concerning Taiwan’s international status and participation.
Areas of tension
- Taiwan’s international status and participation in international organizations remain constrained by Australia’s one-China policy.
Key developments
A bilateral tax agreement between Australia and Taiwan took effect.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of bilateral economic cooperation beyond the tax agreement are unclear.
- The extent of recent government-to-government engagement is uncertain.