Taiwan as a Factor of Interaction between the PRC with Vietnam and the Philippines on the Settlement of Territorial Disputes in the South China Sea in 2013-2023

The PRC's foreign policy has a strong influence on both the global economy and the state of international relations. Despite its disputed international legal status, Taiwan is also a strong player in some sectors of the global economy. Over the past few years, there has been a significant deterioration in relations in the Taiwan Strait, the most prominent example being the 2022 crisis, and the situation certainly remains tense to this day. The ideologeme of the ‘Chinese Dream’ places great emphasis on the reunification of the country. At this point, the importance of the issue of China's unification has gone far beyond the region. The escalation of this conflict will have an impact on both the economy and international relations on a global scale. On the one hand, China's sentiments about the conflict are reflected in the state of relations with other countries. On the other hand, the PRC is using economic means to influence other countries' stance on the Taiwan issue. Against the backdrop of Xi Jinping's re-election as PRC president for a third term, consideration of the reflection of the Taiwan issue's impact on PRC foreign policy becomes particularly relevant to further analysing the outlook for the situation. After decades of focusing on economic improvement, the PRC has reached objective heights. Since Xi Jinping's first term, the PRC has been increasingly involved in global politics, one of the goals of which is regional leadership. The issue of regional leadership is inextricably linked to the largest territorial dispute in the region for the PRC, so territorial disputes in the South China Sea have become increasingly important in the PRC's foreign policy.