Springer Taiwan's Impact on China: Why Soft Power Matters More than Economic or Political Inputs (The Nottingham China Policy Institute Series)

This book is about the basis and scope of impact that Taiwan – a democracy with a population of around 23 million – has on China, the most powerful remaining Leninist state which claims sovereignty over Taiwan and has a population of over 1.3 billion. It examines how Taiwan has helped China in its economic transformation, but argues that the former exercises greatest influence through its soft power. The expert and timely contributions in this book demonstrate how Taiwan exerts real influence in China through admiration of its popular culture, be it in music or literature, as well as its reach into politics and economics. As mainland Chinese visit Taiwan, they are most impressed with civility in everyday living based on a modernized version of the traditional Chinese culture. However, discussions in the book also reveal the limits of Taiwan’s impact, as the Chinese government tightly controls the narrative about Taiwan and does not tolerate any Taiwanese posing a threat to its monopoly of power. Review “This work adds important new perspectives to the understanding of the interplay between Taiwan and China. It is a remarkable case study of “soft power” and its influence.” (Roderic Wye, Associate Fellow, Asia Programme, Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs, UK) “This books deals with an important and under-researched topic. It provides an important historical perspective by not only looking at present-day interactions across the Taiwan straits, but also by investigating some of the historical antecedents of Taiwan’s soft power.” (Andreas Fulda, Senior Fellow at the China Policy Institute and Assistant Professor at the School of Contemporary Chinese Studies, University of Nottingham, UK) From the Back Cover This book is about the basis and scope of impact that Taiwan – a democracy with a population of around 23 million – has on China, the most powerful remaining Leninist state which claims sovereignty over Taiwan and has a population of over 1.3 billion. It examines how Taiwan has helped China in its economic transformation, but argues that the former exercises greatest influence through its soft power. The expert and timely contributions in this book demonstrate how Taiwan exerts real influence in China through admiration of its popular culture, be it in music or literature, as well as its reach into politics and economics. As mainland Chinese visit Taiwan, they are most impressed with civility in everyday living based on a modernized version of the traditional Chinese culture. However, discussions in the book also reveal the limits of Taiwan’s impact, as the Chinese government tightly controls the narrative about Taiwan and does not tolerate any Taiwanese posing a threat to its monopoly of power. About the Author Steve Tsang is Professor of Chinese Studies and Director of the SOAS China Institute, University of London, UK. He previously served as Director of the China Policy Institute at Nottingham University, UK, and as Professorial Fellow, Dean, and Director of the Asian Studies Centre at St Antony’s College, Oxford University, UK.