『聯合國憲章』採用不使用武力原則，僅允許自我防衛。在無法完全消弭戰爭的情況下，國際社會長久以來致力於兩件事，一者是限制在戰爭中使用某些武器及作戰方法，即國際人道法所稱之海牙體系。另一者是努力使武裝衝突人道化，即日內瓦體系。兩者均規範中立國之地位及作為。國際法沒有直接的國際條約規定永久中立國之權利及義務。由學理及國家實踐觀之，永久中立國之核心原則包括放棄發起戰爭之權利、不參與交戰國之戰爭、禁止交戰國因為軍事目的而使用其領土、不允許外國在其國內設立軍事基地、不參與軍事同盟、有義務維持中立、平等對待交戰國。參與國際組織不會影響其永久中立地位，永久中立國只要不是直接參與軍事行動，不違反其永久中立地位。而達成永久中立之方式有不同類型，可能是單方行為、雙邊條約或是多邊條約。亦有單方宣示永久中立，再得到聯合國大會確認者。對於臺灣而言，本文認為，首先如果選擇戰時中立的話，應該遵守『海牙第五公約』及『海牙第三公約』與四個『日內瓦公約』及其議定書。其次，有關是否成為永久中立國，應該採用武裝中立，以公民投票之方式表達表達臺灣人民之集體意志。

The UN Charter adopts non-force principle allowing only self-defense. While war cannot be abolished, the international community has been working on two issues. One is to limit weapon and warfare and to establish Hague system of international humanitarian law. The other is to humane conflicts and to establish Geneva system. Both systems offer rules for neutral states. The international law does not have direct treaty rules of rights and obligations of permanently neutral states. According to scholar views and state practices, core principles of permanently neutral state include abandoning right to initiating war, not participating in war, not to provide military base, equal treat of belligerents. Joining intergovernmental organizations will not affect its status of permanently neutral. A permanently neutral state will maintain its status as long as it does not directly participate into military action. Permanently neutral status can be obtained by unilateral act, bilateral or multilateral treaty. This paper also argues that if Taiwan chooses to be neutral during wars, it has to comply with Hague Conventions No. 5 and No. 13 and four Geneva Conventions and their Protocols. Moreover, if Taiwan wishes to be a permanently neutral state, it can hold a referendum to obtain armed neutrality.