94

Despite its successful drive for democracy, a flourishing economy and free Internet access, Taiwan is still virtually absent from the international public sphere. This is the result of a subtle policy driven by China, which consists of drawing the international community’s full attention to itself while at the same time blanking out any mention of Taiwan in the public sphere as an independent country (membership of international organizations, appearance in international media, etc.). This paper suggests that Taiwan can only strengthen its political position by intensifying its negotiating activities with continental China. The example of Taiwan sheds light on strategies implemented by states in response to the efforts of minority groups to make their voices heard.