China's relation to Taiwan has been in constant contention since the founding of the People's Republic of China in October 1949 and the creation of the defeated Kuomintang (KMT) exile regime on the ...island two months later. The islands autonomous sovereignty has continually been challenged, initially because of the KMT's insistence that it continue to represent not just Taiwan but all of China and later because Taiwan refused to cede sovereignty to the then-dominant power that had arisen on the other side of the Taiwan Strait. One thing that makes Taiwan so politically difficult and yet so intellectually fascinating is that it is not merely a security problem, but a ganglion of interrelated puzzles. The optimistic hope of the Ma Ying-jeou administration for a new era of peace and cooperation foundered on a landslide victory by the Democratic Progressive Party, which has made clear its intent to distance Taiwan from China's political embrace. The Taiwanese are now waiting with bated breath as the relationship tautens. Why did detente fail, and what chance does Taiwan have without it? Contributors to this volume focus on three aspects of the evolving quandary: nationalistic identity, social economy, and political strategy.
The "one China" policy officially supported by the People's Republic of China, the United States, and other countries asserts that there is only one China and Taiwan is a part of it. The debate over ...whether the people of Taiwan are Chinese or independently Taiwanese is, Melissa J. Brown argues, a matter of identity: Han ethnic identity, Chinese national identity, and the relationship of both of these to the new Taiwanese identity forged in the 1990s. In a unique comparison of ethnographic and historical case studies drawn from both Taiwan and China, Brown's book shows how identity is shaped by social experience—not culture and ancestry, as is commonly claimed in political rhetoric.
Taiwan in Troubled Times is concerned with Taiwan's politics and its relations with China following the election of Chen Shui-bian as President in March 2000. This event created problems between ...Taiwan and China and led to political gridlock in Taiwan. The Chen Administration is evaluated in this book. So is President Chen's party, which evolved as an opposition party and is now in power but is unaccustomed to the role.
The two Taiwan Strait crises took place during a particularly tense period of the Cold War. Although each incident was relatively brief, their consequences loom large. Based on analyses of newly ...available documents from Beijing, Taipei, and Washington, Pang Yang Huei challenges conventional wisdom that claims Sino-US misperceptions of each other’s strategic concerns were critical in the 1950s. He underscores the fact that Washington, Taipei, and Beijing were actually aware of one another’s strategic intentions during the crises. He also demonstrates conclusively that both “crises" can be understood as a transformation from tacit communication to tacit accommodation. An important contribution of this study is a better understanding of the role of ritual, symbols, and gestures in international relations. While it is true that these two crises resulted in a stalemate, the fact that all parties were able to cultivate talks and negotiations brought relations, especially between the US and China, to a new and more stable level. Simply averting the threat of war was a major achievement. Strait Rituals is an important micro-history of a significant moment during the Cold War and a rich interpretation of the theoretical use of multiple points of view in writing history. It sets a new standard for understanding China’s place in the world.
A concise and informative history of how China divided in 1949 into two regimes, why they struggled to achieve the same political goal-reunification of China--and why their struggle today continues ...in a more complex and dangerous way. The authors detail how the changes brought about by the 2000 election not only intensified the conflict between the regimes but locked both sides into a new contest that increased the probability of war rather than peace.
If we are to believe the media then a war between China and Taiwan is inevitable. Incorporating interviews, archives and original research, this book examines the troubled relationship between China, ...Taiwan and the US, bringing Taiwanese views on identity politics to the forefront of the discussion.
Centering on the primary issues facing Taiwan, China and the US, the book analyzes Taiwan’s need to prevent China’s rule suffocating their cherished democracy. It questions whether China will pursue military force to achieve political and economic dominance over Taiwan, and how the US proposes to maintain peace between these two countries to ensure both a continuation of democracy in Taiwan and good relations with China. In highlighting these issues, the book seeks to offer practical policy alternatives that could help to advance the cause of freedom and international peace. Featuring chapters from an international group of academics, the book makes a valuable edition to the understanding of Taiwan-China relations within an international context.
Preface Part 1: Taiwan’s Identity and China’s Policy 1. Taiwanese Nationalism and the "Unforgettable Others" 2. The Political-Economic Paradox Part 2: Taiwan’s Dilemmas 3. China Isolates Taiwan 4. The High Cost of Excluding Taiwan from the WHO 5. One China, Diplomatic Isolation and a Separate Taiwan 5. Civil Society, Grassroots Aspirations and Diplomatic Isolation 7. Taiwan Adapts to the Network Society Part 3: China’s Rise and International Peace 8. Taiwan’s Participation in International Organizations Vincent Wei-cheng Wang 9. Taiwan’s Bid for U.N. Membership 10. Taiwan’s Asia-Pacific Geo-Strategic Value 11. China’s Dilemma on Using Military Force 11. Marginalizing Taiwan Weakens Mainland Security
With Taiwan's Kuomintang (KMT) regaining power from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on May 20, 2008, both Beijing and Taipei have been adjusting their policies toward each other. However, ...these recent changes can be seen as part of the overall ongoing process of policy adjustment in both Beijing and Taipei in response to changing domestic and external conditions since 1979. This book explores the process of policy adjustment and institutional change on both sides of the Taiwan Straits since 1979 and offers policy recommendations. By presenting a comparative and balanced discussion of cross-Straits relations from both mainland Chinese and Taiwanese perspectives, this work will help readers gain an enhanced understanding of this controversial issue.
With Taiwan's Kuomintang (KMT) regaining power from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on May 20, 2008, both Beijing and Taipei have been adjusting their policies toward each other. However, ...these recent changes can be seen as part of the overall ongoing process of policy adjustment in both Beijing and Taipei in response to changing domestic and external conditions since 1979. This book explores the process of policy adjustment and institutional change on both sides of the Taiwan Straits since 1979 and offers policy recommendations. By presenting a comparative and balanced discussion of cross-Straits relations from both mainland Chinese and Taiwanese perspectives, this work will help readers gain an enhanced understanding of this controversial issue.Sample Chapter(s)Chapter 1: Introduction: Cross-Taiwan Straits Relations Since 1979 (120 KB)Contents: Introduction: Cross-Taiwan Straits Relations Since 1979 (K G Cai)Cross-Taiwan Straits Relations from Beijing's Perspective:Cross-Taiwan Straits Relations and Beijing's Taiwan Policy Adjustment Since 1979 (A-L Yan)Economic Relations Across the Taiwan Straits and Beijing's Policy Adjustment (S-L Sun)Non-governmental Exchanges Across the Taiwan Straits and Beijing's Policy Since the 1980s (J Yang)Cross-Taiwan Straits Relations from Taipei's Perspective:Cross-Taiwan Straits Relations: Policy Adjustment and Prospect (G W Tsai)Cross-Taiwan Straits Economic Relations and the ECFA (T-H Liou)Cross-Taiwan Straits Relations and Ma Ying-jeou's Policy of Diplomatic Truce (M Lee)Institutional Structure of Decision Making Across the Taiwan Straits:The Evolution of the Institutional Structure of Beijing's Taiwan Policy Making Since the Late 1970s (K G Cai)The Evolution of the Institutional Structure of Taipei's Mainland Policy Making Since the 1980s (V W-C Wang)Readership: Students and academics studying and teaching courses on international relations and Asian Studies, policymakers involved in developing international strategies, and general public interested in knowing about Cross-Taiwan Straits relations.
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