Defense Reforms, Civil-Military Relations, and the Defense of Taiwan

Abstract

Taiwan’s remarkable political transformation in the past decade, in the face of a growing (and arguably existential) military threat from China, raises some compelling theoretical and policy-relevant questions.1 How and to what extent has democratization enhanced or undermined Taiwan’s defense? In particular, how have defense reforms and associated changes in civil-military relations secured Taipei’s strategic position vis-à-vis Beijing? Given that the Taiwan Strait remains a volatile and potentially catastrophic flashpoint that could pit China directly against the United States, these questions are pertinent to the stability of the Western Pacific and America’s long-term position in the region. Furthermore, these questions gain urgency as China’s rise has added to the fragility of the cross-strait military balance.