Taiwan

Lev Nachman, Jonathan Sullivan

Description

As a top 20 global economy and tech powerhouse, a liberal democracy on the frontline of autocratic pressure and a pivotal component in the free and open Indo-Pacific, the future security of Taiwan has enormous ramifications for today’s global order.

Jonathan Sullivan and Lev Nachman consider Taiwan’s complex and multi-layered history and the many dimensions it holds in international politics. They show that an appreciation of its critical role in geopolitics is more than just the crude dichotomies of “democracy vs authoritarianism” or “independence vs unification”. Its history and future are intimately tied to wider questions of decolonialism, national identity, economic interdependence, multiculturalism and modern values – all set against an ever-present security threat.

1. Why Taiwan matters

2. Taiwan’s many histories

3. Taiwan and the ROC

4. Decided by the Taiwanese people

5. One China, multiple considerations

6. Sacred and inviolable

7. The most dangerous place in the world?

8. The politics of cross-Strait economics

9. Who cares about Taiwan?

10. Conclusion

Sujets

• Regional Studies
• International Relations
• Social Science
• POLITICAL SCIENCE
• Sociologie, société et politique
• Japanese colonialism
• International studies
• Geopolitics
• General officer
• Taiwan Strait
• South China Sea
• One-China policy
• Region
• Indigenous peoples
• Taiwan
• Politics
• Imperialism
• International trade
• People's Republic of China
• Regional
• Impérialisme (jeu vidéo)
• General
• History
• Mer de Chine méridionale
• International
• China
• Kuomintang

Informations

• Publié par: Agenda Publishing
• Date de parution: 19 octobre 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781788216722
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 4 Mo

Extrait

Flashpoints

he end o te Cod War uneased a new era o înternatîona reatîons and acceerated te orces o gobaîzatîon. Od conLîcts reasserted temseves and te seeds o new treats were sown. hîs serîes examînes tose regîons, reatîonsîps and îssues tat în te înternatîona arena ave te potentîa to cause conLîct between states. Eac tîte ofers a teoretîcay grounded anaysîs o te îstory, current compexîon and îkey outcome o te Laspoînt to enrîc our understandîng o goba poîtîcs, securîty and înternatîona reatîons.

PubisHed

Taîwan: A Contested Democracy Under hreat Jonatan Suîvan and ev Nacman

TAIWAN A Contested Democracy Under hreat

Jonatan Suîvan and ev Nacman

© Jonatan Suîvan and ev Nacman 2024

hîs book îs copyrîgt under te Berne Conventîon. No reproductîon wîtout permîssîon. A rîgts reserved.

Fîrst pubîsed în 2024 by Agenda Pubîsîng

Agenda Pubîsîng îmîted PO Box 185 Newcaste upon Tyne NE20 2DH www.agendapub.com

ïSBN 978-1-78821-670-8 (ardcover) ïSBN 978-1-78821-671-5 (paperback)

BritisH Library Cataoguing-in-Pubication Data A cataogue record or tîs book îs avaîabe rom te Brîtîs îbrary

Typeset by JS Typesettîng td, Portcaw, Mîd Gamorgan Prînted and bound în te UK by CPï Group (UK) td, Croydon, CR0 4YY

Contents

Preace Map 1. Wy Taîwan matters 2. Taîwan’s many îstorîes 3. Decîded by te Taîwanese peope 4. Taîwan and te ROC 5. Sacred and învîoabe 6. One Cîna, mutîpe consîderatîons 7. “he most dangerous pace în te word” 8. Taîwan’s poîtîca economy 9. Taîwan’s înternatîona posîtîon 10. Taîwan’s uture Gossary Guîde to urter readîng Reerences ïndex

vîî xî 1 13 29 49 63 77 97 115

127 137 149 153 159 169

v

Preace

here as never been greater înternatîona înterest în Taîwan, nor suc wîdespread concern. hîs moment îs ong overdue. For decades, Taîwanese peope ave oped tat teîr acîevements în economîc transormatîon and democratîc transîtîon woud be recognîzed, and tat Taîwan coud partîcîpate and contrîbute to înternatîona socîety on îts own merîts. For poîtîca reasons dîscussed trougout tîs book, tat as not appened. Taîwan’s desîre to be seen as a respected payer on te goba stage as generay been rustrated. ït îs îronîc tat ît took te întensîIcatîon o PRC treats to aert goba audîences to Taîwan’s many acîevements, and to încucate eeîngs o soîdarîty or Taîwan’s strugge. To meanînguy care about wat appens în Taîwan, owever, requîres an understandîng o wat makes Taîwan specîa, wy ît matters and wat can be done to keep Taîwan peaceu. hîs book îs pîtced at readers wo are new to Taîwan and want to earn more about ît. We ope to întroduce te compexîtîes o Taîwan and “te Taîwan îssue” în a cear and accessîbe way. We cannot speak on bea o Taîwanese peope or artîcuate wat ît means to be Taîwanese, but we can speak to te process o earnîng about Taîwan. Our researc and experîences as academîcs can ep connect tose wo want to know more about Taîwan. We antîcîpate tat tîs group wî încude poîcy- makers, journaîsts, busînesspeope, students and concerned cîtîzens around te word. Bot autors ave worked extensîvey wît suc stakeoders and ave îdentîIed a need and appetîte or tîs kînd o pubîcatîon. ïn tîs book, we aîm to provîde a compreensîve and ba- anced dîscussîon o “were are we at?”, an expanatîon o “ow dîd we get ere?”, and înormed specuatîon about “were are tîngs eadîng?”

vîî

Taîwan

One o our maîn motîvatîons or wrîtîng te book îs to recentre Taîwan. ïn doîng so, we want to provîde an aternatîve to typîca ana- yses tat depîct Taîwan as a passîve object or deIne ît soey as a sîte o potentîa conLîct. As western academîc specîaîsts o Taîwanese poîtîcs wo ave spent muc o our îves studyîng and îvîng în Taîwan, we are keeny aware tat Taîwan îs requenty reegated to a “Laspoînt” and a cause o nebuous “tensîons”. Oten învoked as a poîtîca takîng poînt or depîcted as coatera damage under Sîno-US competîtîon, Taîwan’s agency to afect îts own uture îs oten et out o te dîscussîon. he compexîtîes o contemporary Taîwanese poîtîcs and socîety are gossed over, and te desîres o Taîwanese peope barey warrant concern. Our prîorîty wît tîs book îs to rerame ow înternatîona observers per- ceîve Taîwan and te compex envîronment în wîc ît operates. We ope to enance înternatîona understandîng o Taîwan’s own contested preerences and ow îts actîons înteract wît tose o Cîna and te US. he “Taîwan îssue” – a eurîstîc tat captures Taîwan’s dîsputed sovereîgn status and awkward posîtîon between Cîna and te Unîted States – îs compîcated and în need o demystîyîng. Atoug te Taîwan îssue as în recent years rîsen to an unprecedented eve o saî- ence among western poîcymakers and pubîcs, tere are many mîsun- derstandîngs, mîsconceptîons and partîa perspectîves. Wît tîs book, we aîm to address tese îssues by examînîng te preerences, posîtîons and beavîours o te major actors, prîmarîy o course Taîwan îtse. Unîke many western pubîcatîons tat goss over ît, we sa aso con- sîder te posîtîon o te Peope’s Repubîc o Cîna (PRC). Weter or not one agrees wît ît, ît îs împortant to understand wat te PRC posî- tîon îs, were ît comes rom and wat pursuît o îts reaîzatîon mîgt ead to. Sîtuatîng te PRC posîtîon wîtîn broader Sîno-US reatîons, te securîty envîronment în East Asîa and te roe tat Taîwan pays în domestîc Cînese poîtîcs, te PRC posîtîon wît regard to Taîwan îs ess înexpîcabe and more nuanced tan unvarîegated narratîves about beîgerent autorîtarîanîsm. Wîe înterest în Taîwan îtse as never been îger around te word, a undamenta understandîng o Taîwanese poîtîcs and socîety ags beînd. Wît tîs book, we aîm to estabîs în an autorîtatîve and accessîbe way ow Taîwan got to were ît îs today, wat Taîwanese po- îtîcîans and cîvî socîety want and te obstaces tey ace în acîevîng

vîîî

Preace

ît. hîs îs a muc more compîcated story tan popuar styîzed dîcot- omîes îke “democracy vs autorîtarîanîsm” or “îndependence vs unîI- catîon”. ït îs a story întîmatey tîed to democratîzatîon, decoonîaîsm, natîona îdentîty, economîc înterdependence, mutîcuturaîsm and modern vaues – a set agaînst an ever-present securîty dîmensîon. As a top 20 goba economy and tec powerouse, a îbera democracy on te rontîne o autorîtarîan pressure and a pîvota component în te “ree and open ïndo-PacîIc”, Taîwan’s uture wî ave an outsîzed împact on te dîrectîon o trave or regîona peace and te goba order. Readers wo are ess amîîar wît Taîwan’s story wî brîng many questîons to tîs book. ïs Taîwan part o Cîna? Wy îs Taîwan suc a controversîa îssue? How dîd Taîwan become democratîc? How împor- tant îs te Taîwanese tec îndustry? Coud Cîna and te US reay go to war over Taîwan? hese are a reasonabe questîons. ïndeed, tey cut dîrecty to some o te most undamenta concerns. We sa address tese and numerous oter questîons în tîs book. Gettîng to grîps wît Taîwan, wîc barey eatures în western currîcua and îs present în te news and poîtîca debates or a narrow set o reasons, can be întîmîdat- îng. Were does one begîn to earn about Taîwan wît a îts bewîderîng compexîtîes and nuances? Our motîvatîon or wrîtîng tîs book îs to provîde a startîng poînt. As exempîIed în tîs Preace, “Taîwan” îs a ubîquîtous sortand or te Repubîc o Cîna (ROC). We dîscuss în a ater capter te compî- cated reatîonsîp between Taîwan and te ROC, but we wî generay use “Taîwan” as a sortand. We aso use Cîna and PRC întercangea- by. Wen we reer to Cîna, we mean te PRC and not te ROC.

* * * he autors tank two anonymous reerees or teîr extremey useu eedback at dîferent stages o te wrîtîng process. We tank Jessîca Drun, Eîana Rîtts and Brîan Hîoe or readîng dîferent parts o te man- uscrîpt and provîdîng comments. hanks to Kerry Brown or raîsîng te orîgîna îdea to wrîte tîs book and Aîson Howson at Agenda or er edîtorîa support. hanks to Sara Jeu or ep wît îndexîng and te Asîa Researc ïnstîtute at te Unîversîty o Nottîngam or undîng ît.

îx