Ports of Taiwan: Key Infrastructure or Integration Mechanism of Reunification?

Taiwan (a province of China) has a unique development experience - in a short time, thanks to industrializa­tion, it has gone from ordinary developing economies on the margins of civilization to a developed modern economy. More than 95% of Taiwan’s import and export trade relies on maritime transportation, which is not only the main transport pillar of Taiwan’s foreign trade, but also an important link in the global operations and global deployment strategies of Taiwanese enterprises. With the emergence of new serious regional competitors, Taiwan, although it has lost its position in the port in­dustry, continues to be one of the world’s leading economies. East Asian port competition creates a strong incentive for the modernization, expansion and decarbonization of ports in Taiwan Province. Mainland China has been and remains Taiwan’s main export market. Given that more than 40% of Taiwan’s exports and more than 20% of its imports come from cross-strait trade with mainland China, economic ties with China play a significant role in Taiwan’s economy. Political differences be­tween the island and the mainland directly affect the economic situation between the two sides of the strait.