The Struggle For Taiwan

A concise, definitive history of the precarious relationship among the US, China, and Taiwan As tensions over Taiwan escalate, the United States and China stand on the brink of a catastrophic war. Resolving the impasse demands we understand how it began. In 1943, the Allies declared that Japanese-held Taiwan would return to China at the conclusion of World War II. The Chinese civil war led to a change of plans. The Communist Party came to power in China and the defeated Nationalist leader, Chiang Kai-shek, fled to Taiwan, where he was afforded US protection. The specter of conflict has loomed ever since. In The Struggle for Taiwan, Sulmaan Wasif Khan offers the first comprehensive history of the triangular relationship between the United States, China, and Taiwan, exploring America’s ambivalent commitment to Taiwan’s defense, China’s bitterness about the separation, and Taiwan’s impressive transformation into a flourishing democracy. War is not inevitable, Khan shows, but to avoid it, decision-makers must heed the lessons of the past. From the White Terror to the Taiwan Straits Crises, from the normalization of Sino-American relations to Trump-era rising tensions, The Struggle for Taiwan charts the paths to our present predicament to show what futures might be possible.

In the overwhelming chaos across Asia at the end of the Second World War, one relatively minor issue was the future of the Japanese colony of Taiwan, a large island some one hundred miles off the coast of Fujian. Handed to the Kuomintang-ruled Republic of China, in 1949 it suddenly became the focus of global attention as a random cross-section of defeated nationalists, including President Chiang Kai-shek, fled there from Mao's triumphant Communist forces. The Struggle for Taiwan is a balanced and convincing account of the sequence of events that has left Taiwan for generations as a political anomaly, with issues around its status and future continuing to threaten war. With deepening democratization, Taiwan further goads Beijing, remaining functionally independent from China even as Xi Jinping clamours for unification. This invaluable book allows readers to understand the complex story of this unique place and its role in international relations. With its striking economic dynamism and commitment to democracy, can Taiwan continue - as Hong Kong once did - to thrive, or will China conquer it? And will the world be able to maintain peace across the Taiwan Strait or will it stumble into war?

This comprehensive book explores contemporary Taiwan from the perspective of the Taiwanese themselves. In a unique set of original essays, leading Taiwanese figures consider the country’s history, politics, society, economy, identity, and future prospects. The volume provides a forum for a diversity of local voices, who are rarely heard in the power struggle between China and the United States over Taiwan’s future. Whether it will be absorbed by China, continue in its current limbo as an unrecognized state, or seek outright independence and national sovereignty remains an open question. Reflecting the deep ethnic and political differences that are essential to understanding Taiwan today, this work provides a nuanced introduction to its role in international politics. Contributions by: Andrew C. Chang, Chang Chang-yi David, Pochih Chen, Chen Yi-shen, Chi Guo-chung, Strong C. Chuang, Frank S. T. Hsiao, Jolan Hsieh, Joseph C. C. Kuo, Lee Shiao-feng, Shyu-tu Lee, Lee Teng-hui, Marie Lin, Jay Tsu-yi Loo, Lu Hsiu-lien Annette, Peng Ming-min, George Sung, Michael M. Tsai, Tsay Ting-kuei (Aquia), Tu Kuo-ch’ing, Jack F. Williams, Wong Ming-hsien, Wu Rong-i, Wu Rwei-ren, and C. Eugene Yeh.

The question at the heart of this book is to what extent have political activists in mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong made progress in their quest to liberalise and democratise their respective polities. The book compares and contrasts the political development in the three regions from the early 1970s.

This unique book explores contemporary Taiwan from the perspective of the Taiwanese themselves. Leading Taiwanese figures consider the country's history, politics, society, economy, and identity. Reflecting Taiwan's deep ethnic and political differences, this work provides a nuanced introduction to its role in international politics.

First Published in 1999. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

For centuries, various great powers have both exploited and benefited Taiwan, shaping its multiple and frequently contradictory identities. Offering a narrative of the island's political history, the author contends that it is best understood as a continuous struggle for security.

"Taiwan: Manipulation of Ideology and Struggle for Identity chronicles the turbulent relationship between Taiwan and China. This collection of essays aims to provide a critical analysis of the discourses surrounding the identity of Taiwan, its relationship with China and global debates about Taiwan's situation. Each chapter explores a unique aspect of Taiwan's situation; fundamentally exploring how identity is framed in not only Taiwanese ideology, but in relation to the rest of the world. Focusing on how language is a means to maintaining a discourse of control, Taiwan: Manipulation of Ideology and Struggle for Identity delves into how Taiwan is determining its own sense of identity and language in the twenty first century. This book targets researchers and students in discourse analysis, Taiwan studies, Chinese studies, and other subjects in social sciences and political science, as well as intellectuals in the public sphere all over the globe who are interested in the Taiwan issue"--