Taiwan and The 'China Impact'

There can be no doubt that Chinas economic and political rise is having a stronger effect on Taiwan than on any other country, given the Chinese governments claim to sovereignty over Taiwan, and Taiwans 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 Chinas 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 Chinas 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 Taiwans 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 republics 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 Taiwans 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.