世界城市假說論述全球化所形成之世界城市體系漸成為全球經濟活動之掌控中心，世界城市內部之產業結構也深受其於此網絡體系中所扮演之功能角色所影響，尤其是因應掌控中心功能之發展，生產者服務業普遍呈現快速成長，甚至成為帶領當地發展之主領產業。然而，臺北於邁向世界城市之發展過程中，似乎並未發展出具跨國競爭力之生產者服務業，成為帶領臺北經濟成長之主領產業。本文主旨在於論述臺北產業結構之變遷與其世界城市功能之發展有關，然而有兩項因素深切制約臺北全球性功能發展，因而左右其產業結構之變遷與生產者服務業之發展，此兩項因素是：臺灣以製造業代工為主要角色納入全球經濟體系，及臺灣於國際間特殊政治地位所衍生之兩岸關係與認同政治（Identity Politics）之議題。

The world cities hypothesis depicts that world cities have become the command-and-control centers for global economic operation. One of the theoretical discourses is that the economic structure of a World city is shaped by the functions the city Performs within the world cities system. Of particular importance isd the growth of producer Services (PS) industry that has become the key sector leading the development of a world city’s economy. In its drive toward world city status while undergoing economic restructuring. Taipei’s manufacturing sector has declined but its PS industry has not been developed to a level that would allow the city to gain global competitiveness and guide the city’s future economic development. This paper identifies and analyzes two major factors that have affected the nature of the city’s economic restructuring and constrained the effort to enhance its global functions, especially PS. The first one is the subcontractor role played by Taiwan in the global economic system. The second factor is Taiwan’s identity politics that has aimed at de-linking Taiwan with China. These two factors have strongly influenced Taipei’s economic development and restructuring.