Political Economy of ChinaTaiwan Relations: Origins and Development

(Hardback)

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ChinaTaiwan economic ties are now among the key factors influencing the relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait which is still one of the flashpoints in todays world. This book traces the origin and the process of how so-called cross-strait economic ties became such a key factor in China-Taiwan relations throughout the 1990s and how this factor has affected ChinaTaiwan relations since then. By focusing on Taiwans domestic politics as it relates to the domestic conflicts between opposing political and economic forces in Taiwan over the political relations and economic ties across the Taiwan Strait, the book demonstrates that the growth of cross-strait economic ties since 1990 has significantly affected Taiwans domestic politics which in turn has had a profound impact on ChinaTaiwan relations. Although the growth of ChinaTaiwan economic ties could hardly resolve the so-called Taiwan problem and might even lead to some political and economic conflicts between the two sides at times, through Taiwans domestic politics, it has reduced the likelihood of severe confrontation, especially the military one, in the Taiwan Strait. As this book reveals, the interactions between the economic winners, the economic losers, the political parties, the government, and the general public in Taiwans domestic politics as a result of the growth of cross-strait economic ties have played an important role in the development of ChinaTaiwan relations, leading to a very confrontational situation from 1995 to 2008, a relatively peaceful Taiwan Strait from 2008 to 2016, and a cold peace between the two sides since 2016.

Reviews

Chien-Kai Chen makes an important contribution to the study of cross-Strait relations between China and Taiwan. The Political Economy of ChinaTaiwan Relations argues that both growing economic ties between the two sides and domestic politics in Taiwan have shaped China-Taiwan relations. Chens major innovation is to move beyond the normal focus on the national identity issue as the centerpiece of Taiwan politics to demonstrate the importance of the cleavage between the economic winners and losers in cross-Strait economic interactions. -- Cal Clark, Auburn University
Chien-Kai Chen has produced a well-researched and insightful scholarship on the origins and development of cross-strait economic ties. It's an essential reading for specialists focusing on the Taiwan Strait security-economic nexus and assessing the influence of interest coalitions and identity politics on such intricate relationships. -- Dean P. Chen, Ramapo College of New Jersey

Author Bio

Chien-Kai Chen is assistant professor of international studies at Rhodes College.