Taiwan as a Maritime Pivot: Sea Power Competition in the Northwest Pacific

Taiwan’s geographical position as being centrally located within the First Island Chain makes it an important player in the maritime geography of the Northwest Pacific and an arena of growing strategic competition between the United States and China. The geopolitical significance of Taiwan in the First Island Chain is analyzed from the perspective of maritime geography and its role in influencing great power politics in the Northwest Pacific through the sea power theory propounded by Alfred Thayer Mahan. The current work emphasizes the significance of having control over maritime spaces and lanes to maintain the power equilibrium of states. However, previous research has neglected the role of maritime geography and strategic discourse in the long-term trends. The purpose of this research is to fill the research gap by utilizing discourse analysis of the national security strategies, defense white papers, and naval doctrines of both the US and China for the period 1991-2025. The focus on Taiwan is as an example of sovereignty conflicts and a maritime pivot. The findings demonstrate a transition from the unquestionable supremacy of the US in the oceanic domain to a situation in which strategic competition is characterized by the Chinese Anti-access/area-denial system, along with other forms of competition in different spheres such as the economy and technology. In general, it is found that no matter what geographical conditions and naval innovations exist, deterrence and crisis management play a crucial role.