A New Era in Democratic Taiwan ― Trajectories and Turning Points in Politics and Cross-strait Relations

In January 2016, Taiwan’s former authoritarian ruler, the KMT, lost control of both the presidency and legislature. In concert with grassroots activism, the KMT led democratization in Taiwan in the 1980s because it was confident its financial resources, patronage networks and reputation for economic stewardship would insulate it from being swept from power. The party was right. Despite the DPP winning the presidency, almost by default in a three horse race in 2000, the KMT and its allies have dominated most elections through Taiwan’s two decade experience of democracy. With a “safe” China policy and effective resource channelling the KMT maintained a winning coalition among big business, the public sector, green collar workers and local factions, which has structured democratic Taiwan’s political landscape. Until now.

This book identifies past, current and future trajectories in elite political competition, party politics, state-society relations, dynamic of social movement, national identity politics, role of media in the election, cross-Strait relations and foreign affairs. The chapters set out detailed analytical assessment of the significance of the elections, situating trends in the broader history of democracy in Taiwan, and they assessing the implications for politics, society and cross-Strait relations in the coming period. Moving beyond headline rhetoric surrounding election results, the volume provides a timely investigation of underlying and ongoing trends based on rigorous empirical analysis, and as such will be of huge interest to students and scholars of political science, Asian politics and cross-Strait relations.

Dr Jonathan Sullivan is a China specialist and political scientist at the University of Nottingham. Since visiting the country for the first time in the 1990s, he has spent more than twenty years learning and using Chinese, including studying for a BA in Chinese Studies at the University of Leeds. He has Masters degrees in Asia Pacific Studies (University of Leeds) and Political Science (University of Nottingham) and completed his PhD at the University of Nottingham in 2010. Dr Sullivan is interested in most aspects of Chinese life, from his specialist research on political behavior and political communications to distinctly amateur interests in Chinese literature, movies, music, and, naturally, food. Dr Sullivan is Director of the China Policy Institute. He works closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and regularly writes for and is cited in the international media.

Dr Chun-Yi Lee is Deputy Director of the China Policy Institute and lecturer at the University of Nottingham.