馬總統呼籲兩岸在「建立互信、擱置爭議、求同存異、共創雙贏」的基礎上就台灣國際空間進行協商。兩岸談判的空間究竟如何？鑑往知來，本文分析兩岸共同參與政府間國際組織之經驗，俾瞭解北京對我參與國際組織的態度及主張。研究發現中國在國際組織內堅守其一個中國原則，毫不退讓；台灣則因全球第二十大經濟體、第十五大貿易體及第六大遠洋漁業實體的實力，並且採納權宜名稱，才得以經濟體、個別關稅領域、漁業實體等身份與大陸並立於若干功能性的政府間國際組織。

President Ma called for consultations with mainland China over Taiwan's
international space based on consensus of the two to "build mutual trust, shelve controversies, find commonalities despite differences, and create together a win-win solution." How big is the space China may afford Taiwan on this critical subject to Taiwan? This article scrutinizes the experience of the two’s co-representation in IGOs, so as to learn Beijing’s attitude and policies overe Taiwan’s presentation side by side with its own. The study finds that China relentlessly insists on its “one China” principle; yet Taiwan, relies on its functional strength – the 20th largest economy, the 15th largest trader, and the 6th largest ocean fleet in the world - and compromise on its titles, has been successful in remaining or acceding to some functional intergovernmental organizations as
an economy, a separate customs territory, or a fishing entity.