Taiwan, officially recognised as the Republic of China, is an island located east of mainland China north of the Philippines and South of Japan. Its capital, Taipei, is a bustling major city, while the remainder of the island contrasts from central mountainous countryside to coastal cities. The government of Taiwan is a unicameral system whereby a President is elected by popular vote alongside 113 legislative members in a parallel voting system every 4 years. Despite limited official diplomatic relation with other countries, massive industrialisation in the late 20th century has made the country an economic powerhouse. In particular, its semi-conductor production is crucial to global electronics production.
Although the exact composition of the Taiwanese Armed Forces (Republic of China Armed Forces) is unknown, it is estimated to have around 169,000 active personnel and a further 1,660,000 reserve personnel. The Airforce is estimated to have as many as 500 combat capable aircraft and the Navy is estimated to have as many as 90 combat capable surface and subsurface vessels. Australia is unable to conduct military cooperation activities with Taiwan due to the precarious status of Taiwan as a non-recognised state. Australia supported the one-China policy in the 1972 Joint Communique which established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic Of China (PRC), thereby recognising Taiwan as a province of the PRC.