The Taiwan Story: How a Small Island Will Dictate the Global Future

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In this urgent book, we learn why a small island in the East China Sea will be central to the world's future An urgent, indispensable guide to why Taiwan matters - for China, the West and everyone's future. When the bloody Chinese Civil War concluded in 1949, two Chinas were born. Mao's Communists won and took China's mainland; Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists fled to Taiwan island. Since then, China and Taiwan have drifted into being separate political and cultural entities. Taiwan is now a flourishing democracy and an economic success story- just one of its companies produces over 90 per cent of the semiconductors that power the world's economy. It is a free and vibrant society. For the United States and the West, the island is a bastion of freedom against China's assertive presence in the region. And yet China, increasingly bellicose under Xi Jinping, insists Taiwan is part of its territory and must be returned to it. Should China blockade the island and mount an invasion, it would set off a chain reaction that would pitch it against the US - escalating a regional war into a global one. Taiwan is thus a geopolitical powder keg. The Taiwan Story helps us understand how and why we've arrived at this dangerous moment in history. With unparalleled access to Taiwan's political leaders and a deep understanding of the island's history and culture, Professor Kerry Brown provides a new reading of Taiwan, its twenty-three million people, and how they navigate being caught in this frightening geopolitical standoff. This is the essential book delving into Taiwan's unique story, buried beneath the headlines, told in an accessible, expert and urgent way.

Reviews

Kerry Brown has produced an authoritative primer to all things Taiwan in eminently readable prose he tells how an island once dismissed by the Qing dynasty emperor Kangxi as a mud ball in the sea was transformed into a raucous democracy and economic powerhouse, as well as one of the most contested lands in the world. Brown covers how it started, how its going and above all, why it is urgent that we all care -- Barbara Demick, author of Nothing to Envy
Kerry Brown is one of our most perceptive and accurate foreign observers of China -- John Simpson
Taiwan is one of the most dangerous hotspots in the world. This is a highly readable account of its history and the parameters of the present crisis, written with great knowledge, passion, and insight by someone who has followed Taiwan very closely for many years. Whether he is right, only time will tell. -- Martin Jacques, author of When China Rules the World
A thorough and nuanced analysis of Taiwans history, present and potential future -- Michael Booth, author of The Almost Nearly Perfect People
Kerry Brown has written a gripping, urgently needed overview of one of the most crucial disputes in the world, the question of Taiwan. He shows us how a crisis could unfold and how it can be avoided. The stakes of course could not be higher, and this book is a must-read for all who are concerned about the current state of our dangerous world, indeed the future of our planet -- Michael Wood, author of The Story of China
If you want to understand the twenty-first century, you need to understand Taiwan. And if you want to understand Taiwan, you need to read this book. A compelling synthesis of the issue by an expert in the field -- Elliot Ackerman, author of The Fifth Act: Americas End in Afghanistan
Kerry Browns The Taiwan Story is a factual, thoughtful and very well-written account of Taiwan at a crucial time not just for the Taiwanese, but for all of us. The books subtitle How a Small Island Will Dictate the Global Future could not be more apposite. The book explains, with great clarity, both why and how -- Sir Malcolm Rifkind, former Foreign Secretary
An excellent introduction for those newly curious about Taiwan and a handy refresher or useful reference for more seasoned readers -- William Hurst, Chong Hua Professor, University of Cambridge
The Taiwan Story is an excellent account of a complex issue that is commonly misunderstood. The style is accessible, and the combination of political and historical context with on-the-spot observations is superb. Completely up-to-date, it presents information from the Taiwan side of the ChinaTaiwan conflict that is not readily available. This is the best introduction for anyone trying to understand this conflict -- Michael Dillon, author of We Need To Talk About Xi
For those involved or just interested in international affairs, this is a readable and balanced primer on probably the most consequential global hotspot of our century -- Sir Nigel Sheinwald, former British Ambassador to the United States
The great strength of Kerry Browns book is that it treats Taiwan as a place and people with their own identity, forged by their own history, linked with but also distinct from the mainland, and not just as an issue or problem or potential flashpoint. Taiwan is of course all these things as well, but it is impossible to grasp any of these meanings let alone manage them without understanding the layers of complexity that define the idea of Taiwan. No one with an interest in international relations can ignore Taiwan. By exposing the complexities and ambiguities of the idea of Taiwan clearly, empathically but objectively, Brown has done a great service to readers everywhere. -- Bilahari Kausikan, former Permanent Secretary of the Singapore Foreign Ministry
Insightful and comprehensive . . . Kerry Brown masterfully presents the delicate balance Taiwan maintains amid growing tensions between major global powers. This book is an essential read for anyone seeking to grasp the intricacies of Taiwan's identity and its pivotal role in contemporary international relations -- Klaus Mhlhahn, author of Making China Modern

Author Bio

Kerry Brown is Professor of Chinese Studies and Director of the Lau China Institute at King's College, London. From 2012 to 2015 he was Professor of Chinese Politics and Director of the China Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. Prior to this he worked at Chatham House from 2006 to 2012, as Senior Fellow and then Head of the Asia Programme. From 1998 to 2005 he worked at the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office stationed in Beijing. He is the author of over twenty books on modern Chinese politics and his work has been translated into twelve languages.