Returning Home or Selling Out? Taiwan's China Debate
Abstract
The stakes in Taiwan's debate about China are extraordinarily high. Not only does Taiwan's continued prosperity depend largely on how it positions itself relative to China, but China is also Taiwan s chief security threat. The political aspect of Taiwan's China debate involves the question of whether or not Taiwan is part of China. Positions on this issue closely follow the ethnic breakdown between long-standing Taiwanese residents and more recently arrived Mainlanders. Taiwan's people also disagree on the extent to which Taiwan should economically integrate with China, but opinions on this question do not necessarily conform with ethnic differences. Like many Mainlanders, the largely Taiwanese business community favors accelerating direct trade and travel links across the Strait. Taiwan's lack of consensus regarding the relationship with China adds to the potential instability that could contribute to a cross-Strait military conflict. Nevertheless, the preference of most of Taiwan's people for the status quo and the power of shared economic interests to transcend ethnic and political divisions raise hopes that stability will persist until future conditions alleviate the possibility of armed conflict. The sharp debate in Taiwan about China complicates the delicate three-way relationship and requires careful monitoring by Chinese, Taiwan and U.S. leaders.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA592025
Entities
People
- Denny Roy
Organizations
- Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies