Unpacking Taiwan's Identities: Substance, Contexts, and Party Stances toward China

Unpacking Taiwan's Identities:Substance, Contexts, and Party Stances toward China Christina Lai (bio) Taiwan's peaceful transition from authoritarian rule to liberal democracy in the 1990s has led not only to rapid economic growth but also to the building of a vibrant civil society. This democratic transition and the growth of civil society promoted Taiwan nationalism, given that the island's political institutions were different from those of authoritarian China.1 As Taiwan's identity has consolidated around its own institutions and systems, how does this identity shape Taiwan's policy toward China and the United States? What does Taiwan's own, local identity mean for party politics? This essay investigates the factors contributing to Taiwan's evolving sense of identity and explores how identity might shape the U.S.-China-Taiwan triangle. It also analyzes how Taiwanese identity affects major party stances toward China, including those of the Kuomintang (KMT), the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), and the Taiwan People's Party (TPP). The essay, first, offers an overview of the substance of Taiwan's identities and highlights variations within its consolidated national identity. Second, it addresses how political parties in Taiwan differ from each other in their policies toward China. Finally, the essay concludes with a discussion of implications for the future of Taiwan's foreign policy and U.S.-Taiwan relations. Substance and Variation: Taiwanese Identity from the 1990s to 2023 Taiwan is a beacon of democracy, as it is the only place where a Sinophone majority of people enjoy diverse cultural heritages and liberal democracy. Multiple elements have gone into constructing this unified Taiwan identity over the last few decades, including the formation of the End Page 90 identity of the self vis-à-vis the other (i.e., Taiwan vis-à-vis China and the United States), generational differences, and renewed connections with Southeast Asian countries, including immigration to Taiwan. These elements have helped forge distinct and yet diverse identities for Taiwanese, separate from those that are more culturally Chinese. Perceptions of the United States and China Ever since President Xi Jinping assumed power in 2013, politics in China have taken an authoritarian turn, in which freedom of speech and individual rights have been increasingly suppressed. China's deteriorating human rights environment has not only led to a heightened negative image of the country among Taiwanese people but also encouraged a strengthening of bilateral ties between the United States and Taiwan based on the promotion of liberal democracy and universal human rights.2 For example, the past two presidents, Ma Ying-jeou of the KMT and Tsai Ing-wen of the DPP, despite their different party affiliations, both took pride in Taiwan's democratic achievements and sought to strengthen security ties and diplomatic exchanges with the United States. In terms of China-Taiwan relations, the political debate over moving toward unification, declaring de jure or formal independence, or maintaining the status quo is certainly related to Taiwan's political future and identity formation. However, a more complex picture emerges when the Taiwanese people are asked to demonstrate their resolve for de jure independence immediately. The Election Study Center at National Chengchi University has conducted surveys on citizen preferences since the mid-1990s using a survey design that helps differentiate moderate nationalists from unyielding ones through the use of hypothetical scenarios.3 The results have been consistent over the last few decades—most Taiwanese citizens prefer to maintain the status quo in the current China-Taiwan relationship, which entails upholding Taiwan as a de facto independent state but not pressing for de jure independence.4 This is one of the most important features to emerge from Taiwanese politics, regardless of whether someone identifies End Page 91 as Taiwanese, Chinese, or both. Only a small number of respondents would rather see Taiwan pursue formal independence in the face of China's ongoing threat. That is to say, most Taiwanese citizens are willing to de-link their identities from their political future. Even if Taiwan's identity itself is not a pressing issue that will determine the island's political future, how the Chinese government will respond to the Taiwanese mainstream's preference for the status quo remains uncertain. Since...