WASHINGTON, Aug. 16 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10275) on Aug. 15, 2025, by Asian affairs specialist Susan V. Lawrence. Here are excerpts: * * * Introduction Taiwan, which formally calls itself the Republic of China (ROC), is a self-governing democracy. Its popularly-elected leaders govern 23.4 million people on the main island of Taiwan and on outlying islands, including the archipelagoes of Penghu, Kinmen, and Mazu. Since  more