Bridging the strait: Taiwan, China, and the prospects for reunification

Abstract

Rapprochement between the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China has moved in stops and starts since the normalization of Sino-American relations in 1979. In recent years the gradual rise of Taiwan's main opposition, the Democratic Progressive Party has helped to strengthen and consolidate sentiment within Taiwan against reunification of the two Chinas. Numerous studies have examined the prospects for a peaceful reunification, most often focusing on the motivations, aims, and actions of mainland China. In this book, Dr Hsin-hsing Wu explores the links between the reunification issue and recent political changes within Taiwan, and examines how this force has become a serious challenge to both Chinese governments reunification policies. The author draws on Western scholarship, using established integration theory as a means of analysis, while providing a Taiwanese perspective with primary sources. He examines six factors - the economic and political systems of each country, public opinion in Taiwan, the transactions between the two Chinas, Taiwan's politics, and the Taiwan Independence Movement - to determine the likelihood of peaceful reunification. This is the first title in the series Studies on Contemporary Taiwan.