Toward One China 2.0? Analyzing Australia's Deepening Engagement with Taiwan amid the US–China Rivalry

Australia&s;s approach toward the “Taiwan issue”—and Taipei itself—has been described as “cautious,” “timid” and, sometimes, “ambivalent.” However, recent comments from Australian lawmakers affirming Taiwan as a core interest, alongside an increase in the number of parliamentary delegations visiting Taipei, suggest that a nuanced shift has occurred in Canberra&s;s thinking about the Taiwan issue. This chapter aims to explain this shift by drawing upon the international relations theories of realism, liberalism, and constructivism to analyze Australia&s;s responses to developments in and around the Taiwan Strait from 2013 to 2024. The chapter argues that the shift stems from China&s;s growing power and assertiveness, which has led policymakers to view Beijing as a threat to Australia&s;s national security and their interest in preserving a “rules-based order” in the Indo-Pacific. This heightened threat perception has strengthened the long-standing norms of great power reliance and democratic governance, which have informed policymakers decisions to deepen Canberra&s;s alliance with the United States and express greater solidarity with Taipei, thus elevating Taiwan&s;s strategic importance. This contribution aims to not only detail Australia&s;s shifting approach toward the Taiwan issue but also provide a timely account of Canberra&s;s relationship with the broader US–China–Taiwan triangle.