Taiwan and the Cause of Democratization in China

In a time when the political developments in China have major implications for the stability of the existing international order, this topical book revisits an enduring topic pertaining to Taiwan’s influence over China’s future.

Based on extensive fieldwork, this book gives a holistic account of Taiwan’s mixed and overall declining agency in supporting the causes of democracy and human rights across mainland China and Hong Kong. With a carefully selected group of experts, Chen Jie explores how Taiwan’s successful democratic transition and consolidation inspired many social activists and liberal intellectuals. With a focus on Taiwan’s state and civil society, the book outlines how Taiwan’s agency has waned significantly, largely due to the socio-political campaigns of de-Sinification. The book ultimately finds that Taiwan’s role as a beacon of democracy is manifested by the island’s existence as the only liberal democracy in the Chinese speaking world.

The book’s critical investigations into the prospects of political liberalization and democratization in China are vital for students and scholars of Asian politics and policy, human rights, and international relations. Its examination of the role of Taiwan in facilitating democratic transition is also beneficial for international democracy and human rights agencies and policymakers alike.