Reassessing the Taiwan-China Rapprochement: A Constrained Romance of the Two Kingdoms

This article analyzes the Taiwan-China rapprochement, a significant development in the politics and security of the Asia-Pacific region, and has two principal aims. First, it addresses a gap in the scholarship by examining the reasons that gave rise to this rapprochement. Second, it provides a criti...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:St. Antony's international review 2012-02, Vol.7 (2), p.164-181
Main Author: Boon, Hoo Tiang
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
East Asian politics
European integration
General Section
Geopolitics
International relations
National identity
Political identity
Political integration
Political parties
Presidential elections
Rapprochement
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Summary:This article analyzes the Taiwan-China rapprochement, a significant development in the politics and security of the Asia-Pacific region, and has two principal aims. First, it addresses a gap in the scholarship by examining the reasons that gave rise to this rapprochement. Second, it provides a critique of assessments that are overly optimistic about the prospects of this development. Although the warming of Taiwan-Chinese relations represents significant progress in cross-strait relations, it is still fundamentally constrained by countervailing conditions that will undermine its progression. In essence, the Taiwan-China rapprochement is a bounded strategic embrace—one that has limited political promise.
ISSN:1746-451X
1746-4528