The ROC's diplomatic plight is probably unparalleled anywhere in the world. As Chao Chien-min points out: "The cross-strait relationship is the biggest single variable in this situation," and this in turn depends to a large degree on the role played by the US.
有人形容，現階段中華民國的外交處境的險惡，可說全世界絕無僅有，而其關鍵，「兩岸關係是最重要的變數」，趙建民認為。