Uni-Tübingen

Recent Publication: Taiwan and the 'China Impact'

Taiwan and The ‘China Impact’: Challenges and Opportunities

Edited by Gunter Schubert

Routledge 2015

There can be no doubt that China’s economic and political rise is having a stronger effect on Taiwan than on any other country, given the Chinese government’s claim to sovereignty over Taiwan, and Taiwan’s quest to maintain its democratic achievements and political identity as a sovereign state. Against this background, this volume deals with the ‘bigger picture’ of evolving relations across the Taiwan Strait, departing from the observation that China’s impact on Taiwan has become stronger over the last 20 years.

This book analyses the ‘China impact’ on Taiwan in terms of its social, political and security space from both an empirical and conceptual point of view. It is the first comprehensive account of China’s multifaceted impact on the politics and society of contemporary Taiwan, written by renowned scholars from Taiwan, Europe and the U.S. The book covers a wide range of topics including Taiwan’s party alignment, elections, generational politics, cross-strait political economy, immigration policy and security. The contributors, political scientists and sociologists, highlight both the dangers and the opportunities of the ‘China impact’ for Taiwan and draw a realistic picture of the island republic’s current situation and future options in the shadow of its giant neighbour.

Based on qualitative and quantitative data, this volume intends to fill a gap in the Taiwan studies field by studying the ‘China impact’ on Taiwan’s politics and society systematically and from a comparative perspective. By doing so, it will be of great interest to students and scholars of Taiwan studies, and East Asian politics and society more generally.

Contents:

Foreword Michael H.H. Hsiao 

1. Introduction Gunter Schubert 

Part I: The ‘China Impact’ on Taiwan’s Domestic Politics 

2. The PRC as a Player in Taiwan’s Domestic Politics: A Two-Level Game Analysis Lin Jih-wen 

3. Cross-Strait Relations as an "Easy" Issue: China’s Impact on Evidence Provision in Negative Political Campaigning in Taiwan Yun Ted Hsuan & Wu Chung-li (Ted Hsuan Yun Chen) 

4. The China Impact on Taiwan’s Elections: Cross-Strait Economic Integration through the Lens of Election Advertising Dafydd Fell 

5. The China Impact on Taiwan’s Generational PoliticsShelley Rigger 

6. Facing the Dragon and Riding the Tiger. Assessing the Mainland Taishang as an ‘Impact Factor’ in Cross-Strait Relations Gunter Schubert 

7. Signaling Peace: A Theory of the ECFA and a Peace Dividend beyond the Taiwan Strait Hans H. Tung & Chu Yun-han 

8. Political Competition Framed by the China Factor: Looking beyond the 2012 Presidential Election Wu Nai-teh 

 

Part II: The ‘China Impact’ on Taiwanese Society 

9. The Social Basis of Taiwan’s Cross-Strait Policies, 2008-2012 Chen Jih-jou 

10. Cross-Strait Trade and Class Cleavages in Taiwan Lin Thung-hong 

11. Escalator or Merry-Go-Round: Taiwanese Skilled Migration to China) Tseng Yen-fen 

12. Taiwan’s Immigration Policy and the China Impact: The Case of Cross-Strait Families Deng Jian-bang

13.Taiwanese Youth in Mainland China: Fragile Identity in the Shadow of China Lin Ping 

 

Part III: The ‘China Impact’ on Taiwan’s Security

14. The Rise of China and Its Implications for US.-Taiwan Relations Lin Cheng-yi 

15. Cross-Strait Integration and Taiwan’s New Security Challenges Jean-Pierre Cabestan 

16. Conclusions: Assessing the China Impact Gunter Schubert