IPE@WU Thesis: What Shapes Europe’s Relationships with Taiwan?

By Linus Wetzer

When I started thinking about my bachelor’s thesis, I kept coming back to a question that felt increasingly relevant in today’s political landscape: why do some European countries develop much closer ties with Taiwan than others? Many of these countries share similar democratic values, levels of wealth, and historical backgrounds, yet their approaches to Taiwan differ remarkably. That puzzle became the starting point for my research.

My research question naturally followed from this curiosity: Why do some countries develop tight relations with Taiwan, while others do not? I was particularly inspired by current international developments, the growing geopolitical rivalry between China and Taiwan, and my broader interest in democracies and authoritarian influence around the world.

To answer this question, I developed two main hypotheses. The first explored whether European Union member states with lower economic dependence on China, measured through their share of exports to China, are more likely to build closer relations with Taiwan. The second examined whether countries with a communist past tend to develop deeper ties with Taiwan than those without such a history.

One of the most interesting outcomes of my thesis was that neither hypothesis fully explained the puzzle. Rather than pointing to one decisive factor, my findings suggest that European countries’ relationships with Taiwan are shaped by a combination of political, historical, and economic influences. In other words, there is no single explanation for why their approaches differ.

The biggest challenge I faced was measuring something as abstract as “connection to Taiwan.” Because Taiwan is not widely recognized as a sovereign state, there are very few datasets that capture this type of relationship. Defining meaningful indicators and collecting suitable data required much more creativity and persistence than I had expected.

Looking back, I realize that the IPE courses prepared me very well for identifying a puzzle and research question, and the research process itself. Courses such as “Qualitative Methods” and “Politics and Money” helped me understand how to formulate a strong puzzle, develop a clear research question, and apply scientific methods. They also sparked my interest in contemporary international politics by connecting theory to real-world developments.

Although I never felt completely stuck during the writing process, getting started was surprisingly difficult. Once my proposal, research plan, and sources were ready, I still needed a few days to really get started and overcome the blank page. Another important lesson was realizing how much time academic research actually requires. Reading and searching for sources may not produce visible pages of writing, but this work is just as valuable as drafting the final text. My advice to future students is simple: don’t underestimate this part of the process, and in particular, don’t mistake it for making no progress just because your page stays blank.

This thesis strengthened my interest in international relations and political economy, and it aligns closely with the kind of career I hope to pursue. I am particularly fascinated by the ongoing rivalry between democracy and autocracy, and I can imagine contributing to work that supports democratic institutions and political freedom. If policymakers engaged with my findings, I hope they would see that supporting Taiwan’s democracy does not necessarily come at the expense of national interests, and that other countries can learn from those already pursuing closer cooperation.

Perhaps the most rewarding part of writing my thesis was realizing that I had contributed, even in a small way, to academic research. Finishing my degree was a wonderful achievement in itself, but knowing that my own ideas could add something meaningful to a broader scientific conversation made the experience especially fulfilling. Unlike many assignments, this project felt genuinely valuable, and I will carry that with me beyond university.

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