Asian Studies

322 Taiwan: Internal Development & Foreign Policy
The rise of China, US power and influence in Asia and the Pacific, and Taiwan assertiveness have made Taiwan a focal point of US and international policy concern as the main international hot spot that could lead to great power military conflict involving the United States. This course explains the background, status, and outlook of the China-Taiwan-US triangular relationship. It gives special focus to political, economic, social, and intellectual trends on Taiwan, how they affect Taiwan's standing in the triangular relationship, and what this means for both China and the United States.

The course has three main parts. After the introduction, the first six meetings survey Taiwan's history as well as political, economic, social and cultural trends since World War II. The next two meetings discuss the evolution of Taiwan's role in world affairs, with special emphasis on the triangular relationship among the United States, Taiwan, and Mainland China. The final meetings assess the recent major political changes in Taiwan, changes in Taiwan's relations with the mainland, and their implications for the United States.