Written by Martin Lavička
The research visit to Taiwan in January 18–28, 2026 was conducted in line with the objectives outlined in the approved field research proposal and generously supported by the Taiwan Chair project at Palacký University Olomouc. It formed an integral part of my ongoing research on the People's Republic of China's strategic use of the "global rule of law" narrative and its implications for Taiwan's international legal status and democratic identity. This research topic is of growing importance in the current state of global affairs, as international law and legal norms have increasingly become arenas of geopolitical contestation rather than neutral frameworks of cooperation. China's efforts to reinterpret core concepts such as sovereignty, non-interference, human rights, and the rule of law reflect a broader trend in which legal discourse is mobilized strategically to legitimize power, constrain alternative interpretations, and reshape the normative foundations of the international order. In this context, Taiwan represents a particularly salient case, as it sits at the intersection of legal marginalization, democratic legitimacy, and great-power rivalry.
Building on my earlier work presented at the European Association for Taiwan Studies (EATS) conference in Olomouc, the visit aimed to deepen the empirical and comparative foundations of the research by engaging directly with Taiwanese academic and institutional actors and by examining Taiwan's own discursive, legal, and policy responses to China's expanding normative and legal influence. As China increasingly positions itself as a defender of stability and legality in global governance while framing Taiwan as a destabilizing and illegitimate actor, understanding how Taiwan articulates and sustains its own rule-of-law-based identity has become essential not only for Taiwan studies but also for broader debates on democratic resilience, small-state agency, and the future of international law.
During the visit, I met with Chun-I Chen, President of the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation at the newly established Ching-kuo Chi-Hai Cultural Park and the Chiang Ching-kuo Presidential Library. Professor Chen is also a Distinguished Professor of Law at National Chengchi University, and his scholarship focuses on international law, with particular expertise in how non-recognized or partially recognized entities like the Republic of China (Taiwan) engage with international legal frameworks, the legal status and immunities of states and their representatives, and the intersection of domestic and international legal orders. These areas directly resonate with the analytical core of my project. His extensive body of work includes comparative legal analyses of diplomatic immunities, sovereignty disputes, and the international legal status of Taiwan.
Picture 1 With Professor Chen Chun-i
I also had an opportunity to meet with another scholar, Yeh-Chung Lu, Professor of Diplomacy and Vice Dean of the College of International Affairs at the NCCU, who also serves as an advisor to the Research Institute for Democracy, Society, and Emerging Technology (DSET). Professor Lu's research on diplomatic recognition, foreign policy strategies of contested states, and Taiwan's international engagement under conditions of structural asymmetry closely aligns with the core concerns of my project. Our exchange focused on how Taiwan navigates diplomatic exclusion while actively participating in international norm-building and how legal and rule-of-law narratives increasingly function as strategic tools alongside traditional diplomacy. We also discussed how DSET support could be used to organise various academic events at Palacký University Olomouc.
Even without visiting Tainan, I had the opportunity to meet with Professor Yi-Kai Chen from National Cheng Kung University, whose research on political institutions, governance, and democratic accountability provided essential insights into the domestic foundations of Taiwan's international credibility. These discussions were particularly relevant for linking internal rule-of-law performance with external normative projection. The last scholar I had the opportunity to speak with was Wen-Zhen Chang from the Faculty of Law at National Taiwan University. Her work on constitutional law, judicial review, and rights protection has been central to Taiwan's post-authoritarian legal transformation. Our discussion underscored the contrast between Taiwan's substantive, rights-based understanding of the rule of law and the more instrumental, state-centric conception promoted by the PRC in international discourse. We also discussed the problems Western scholars might face when applying a Western understanding of things without more profound knowledge of local history. In parallel with these meetings, I visited the National Central Library's Centre for Chinese Studies and the newly opened NCCU Library, where I browsed Taiwanese scholarly publications and databases.
Picture 2 New library at NCCU
This research visit substantially reinforced the analytical depth and empirical grounding of the planned research article, provisionally titled "PRC's Vision of the Global Rule of Law and Its Implications for Taiwan." Direct engagement with Taiwanese scholars and institutions offered nuanced insights into how Taiwan conceptualizes and defends its democratic and rule-of-law identity in response to China's efforts to narrow the legal and discursive space for alternative interpretations. In addition to this peer-reviewed output, the visit will result in a policy-oriented op-ed to be published through the Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies (CEIAS), focusing on Taiwan's legal resilience in light of China's narrative strategies and the increasing use of "lawfare" as a tool of geopolitical competition. By addressing a wider policy and public audience, this op-ed aims to contribute to ongoing debates about the erosion of normative consensus in international law and the capacity of democratic actors to respond to legal and discursive pressure from authoritarian powers.
Overall, the research visit, although very short, fully met its intended objectives and generated clear added value for my broader research agenda on China, international law, and Taiwan. Beyond contributing directly to concrete research outputs, it addressed a timely and pressing set of questions about the transformation of the international legal order and the role of narratives, law, and legitimacy within it, while also strengthening academic networks with key Taiwanese institutions and scholars and laying the groundwork for future collaboration in research, teaching, and knowledge exchange.
Picture 3 National Central Library