Relationship dossier
Italy
Taiwan
Relationship assessment
Unofficial ties include practical cooperation, notably reciprocal pandemic assistance.
Italy toward Taiwan
+15Italy donated COVID-19 vaccine doses to Taiwan in 2021, providing concrete government assistance despite the absence of formal diplomatic relations.
Taiwan toward Italy
+15Taiwan organized mask assistance for Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing concrete support to the Italian government and public.
Overall relationship
+15The relationship is shaped by Italy’s one-China policy and the lack of formal diplomatic relations, alongside practical cooperation. Reciprocal pandemic assistance demonstrates that unofficial ties can support concrete government action, though the known cooperation is limited in scope.
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
Italy and Taiwan maintain unofficial relations, with practical cooperation alongside Italy’s adherence to its one-China policy. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Italy donated vaccine doses to Taiwan, while Taiwan supplied masks to Italy. These actions show concrete but episodic cooperation; the breadth and durability of government-to-government cooperation are less clear.
Key developments
Taiwan organized mask assistance for Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Italy donated COVID-19 vaccine doses to Taiwan.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of bilateral cooperation beyond pandemic assistance are unclear.
- The extent of ongoing Italian government support for Taiwan’s international participation is unclear.