Excerpt: Why Taiwan Matters: Small Island, Global Powerhouse

Taipei 101, the blue-green glass tower that reigned for six years as the world’s tallest building, is everywhere in Taiwan. Its image appears on advertisements, magazine covers, brochures, guidebooks, and billboards; the soaring structure itself is visible from nearly everywhere in Taipei City. As ubiquitous as Shanghai’s Oriental Pearl TV tower—and considerably more graceful—Taipei 101 has become the iconic image of contemporary Taiwan

Lessons of Defeat and Success: Taiwan’s 2012 Elections in Comparative Perspective

In early 2011, the Kuomintang (KMT, Guomindang) government appeared to be in danger of losing power in the upcoming presidential elections. The DPP had recovered sufficiently from its disastrous electoral performance in 2008 to pose a real challenge to Ma Ying-jeou (Ma Yingjiu) and had matched the KMT’s vote share in mid-term local elections. Ma also faced the challenge of an independent presidential candidate, James Soong (Song Chuyu), who had come a close second in 2000 and now threatened to divide the pro KMT vote. Nevertheless, the KMT was able to win reduced majorities in both the presidential and legislative elections in January 2012. This article seeks to explain how the KMT was able to hold on to power by comparing the campaign with earlier national-level elections. We are interested in identifying the degree to which the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, Minjindang) learnt from its electoral setbacks in 2008 and whether the KMT employed a similar campaign strategy to the one that had been so effective in returning it to power in 2008. Our analysis relies of an examination of campaign propaganda and campaign strategies as well as participant observation and survey data from 2012 and earlier contests

Excerpt: Why Taiwan Matters: Small Island, Global Powerhouse

Taipei 101, the blue-green glass tower that reigned for six years as the world’s tallest building, is everywhere in Taiwan. Its image appears on advertisements, magazine covers, brochures, guidebooks, and billboards; the soaring structure itself is visible from nearly everywhere in Taipei City. As ubiquitous as Shanghai’s Oriental Pearl TV tower—and considerably more graceful—Taipei 101 has become the iconic image of contemporary Taiwan

Taiwan's rising rationalism : generations, politics, and "Taiwanese nationalism"

For more about the East-West Center, see http://www.eastwestcenter.org/There is a widespread perception among Taiwan-watchers that the rising proportion of islanders who identify themselves as Taiwanese is driving increased enthusiasm for an independent Taiwan and flagging interest in political rapprochement with the PRC. They perceive a steady increase of "Taiwanese nationalism," as a serious obstacle to stabilizing cross-strait relations. This study, however, argues that Taiwanese public opinion is increasingly favorable to peaceful relations in the Taiwan Strait. Using generational analysis, it shows that while many older Taiwanese hold passionate views about cross-strait relations, younger Taiwanese tend to be pragmatic, moderate, and open-minded. It disaggregates the components of "Taiwanese nationalism" and shows that while the phenomenon is common among older Taiwanese—including most of Taiwan's current political leadership—it is less wide-spread among younger age groups. For those born after 1950, a strong Taiwanese identity often coexists with neutral or even positive views of China. Overall generational analysis supports an optimistic assessment of the future of cross-strait relations. Attitudes that are most destructive to cross-strait ties are held by age cohorts whose political influence is waning. Younger Taiwanese lack the passion that drives today's leaders. This is not to say that young Taiwanese do not feel a strong connection to Taiwan as their homeland. For them, loving Taiwan does not mean hating China. If the PRC refrains from acting in ways that provoke negative reactions from young Taiwanese, current trends suggest that Taiwan's public will demand better relations between the two sides in the future

Is China Part of Taiwan?

There is a long-standing debate over whether Taiwan is part of China. Beijing insists that not only is Taiwan part of China, it is part of the People’s Republic of China. Most Taiwanese reject the idea that the island they live on is part of the PRC, and they would prefer to remain outside the PRC state’s jurisdiction. But when it comes to China – the abstract, cultural, historical idea of China – the situation is more interesting. While some Taiwanese embrace an identity that relegates Chineseness to a minor role (or even dismiss it altogether), most of Taiwan’s 24 million people recognize a cultural and historical attachment to China. Where the two sides differ is over the meaning of that attachment for contemporary political arrangements. Few Taiwanese are swayed by the historical determinism and cultural essentialism that underlie the PRC’s case for “unification.” Rather, they believe that political identity and citizenship should follow the will of the people, not the dictates of history.Is China a Part of Taiwan? was the talk title given by Shelley Rigger, Professor of Political Science, Davidson University on November 15, 2021.Cornell East Asia Program1_6ql1ppm