Abstrakt
Ilha Formosa, the Beautiful Island, as Taiwan was named by Portuguese sailors in the sixteenth century, had never been officially a part of the British colonial empire. But much like a large portion of the world, Taiwan was also influenced by Great Britain, its actions and activities.
The aim of this study is to analyze the role of Great Britain on international relations of this remote Chinese territory. Taiwan, as well as mainland China, had been avoiding a closer contact with European countries for centuries.
Great Britain was seeking for an opportunity to break through this Chinese policy and incorporate China and Taiwan in British trading market. This paper will study and analyze tools and policy, which Great Britain used to fulfil its goal as well as the reasons of British interest of a little island in the Pacific.
I argue that it was British interest in this territory, which brought Taiwan into the light of international politics even before the Chinese empire had recognized its strategic importance.