US-China Rivalry and Taiwan's Mainland Policy
Security, Nationalism, and the 1992 Consensus
- 226 pages
- 8 hours of reading
This book explores Taiwan’s policy shifts toward Mainland China during the presidency of Ma Ying-jeou (2008-2016) and their impact on US policy regarding the Taiwan Strait. The assertive foreign policy of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has escalated tensions with regional neighbors and the US. However, under Ma's Kuomintang (KMT) administration, Taiwan opted to downplay Beijing's coercion, seeking rapprochement based on the "1992 consensus." This consensus is a tacit agreement asserting that both Taiwan and the mainland belong to one China, albeit with differing interpretations. The author analyzes Taipei's underreaction to security challenges from the PRC and its policies that sometimes conflicted with the interests of the US and its allies in the Asia-Pacific. The KMT aimed to rejuvenate the ROC’s legitimacy and counter pro-independence forces within Taiwan through nation-building initiatives. The island's fragmented domestic politics have led to suboptimal strategic choices, compromising its security position. The findings of this study are relevant to Taiwan’s current Democratic Progressive Party government, which has been in power since 2016.
