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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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Why Taiwan Matters summary
Kerry Brown
A Short History of a Small Island That Will Dictate Our Future
20 mins
Brief summary
Why Taiwan Matters examines Taiwan's significant geopolitical role, its economic impact, and cultural influence. Kerry Brown delves into Taiwan's history and its strategic importance in global politics, highlighting why it commands international attention.
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Why Taiwan Matters
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Life in the shadow of a giant
In early 2024, smartphones across Taiwan suddenly blared with an emergency alert: “Air raid alert. Missile flyover Taiwan airspace. Be aware.” Yet, in a nearby shop, the owner barely shrugged at the warning, treating it as routine government overcaution. This striking contrast between crisis and calm captures the essence of modern Taiwan, where Chinese military aircraft breached the island’s airspace 1,727 times in 2022 alone, yet daily life continues with remarkable normality.
This peculiar normalcy exists in a place that most countries treat as a nation while refusing to officially recognize it as one. Even the simple matter of passport design reveals this complexity. Until 2020, a fierce debate raged over whether the cover should read “Republic of China” or “Taiwan” – a seemingly bureaucratic issue that cut to the heart of the island’s identity struggle and its complex international status. The debate ultimately resulted in a compromise where both names appear, though “Taiwan” is in larger type.
Such negotiations over identity reflect a shift in how the island’s people see themselves. Recent surveys show that only 3 percent of Taiwanese identify as primarily Chinese, while 67 percent see themselves as solely Taiwanese. The remaining 30 percent identify as both Chinese and Taiwanese.
The current political status of Taiwan stems from the conclusion of the Chinese Civil War in 1949. The defeated Nationalist government fled to Taiwan while the victorious Communists established control over mainland China. Both sides initially claimed to be the legitimate rulers of all China, leading to decades of tension. Through the 1970s, politicians like Richard Nixon and Mao Zedong carefully constructed a diplomatic framework that recognized only one China while deliberately leaving its precise meaning ambiguous – a diplomatic sleight of hand that helped maintain peace while satisfying neither side completely.
Over time, Taiwan and China developed along radically different paths. While China embraced authoritarian communism, Taiwan gradually evolved toward capitalist democracy. The island carried influences not just from China but from Japanese colonial rule and various Western powers, creating a cultural mosaic that set it apart from the mainland.
This distinct identity has created a notably pluralistic society. This social cohesion was particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic when Taiwan achieved one of the world’s most successful responses without imposing lockdowns. Instead, the population voluntarily adopted protective measures, reflecting deep-rooted Confucian values of social responsibility and a distinctly Taiwanese approach to governance.
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What is Why Taiwan Matters about?
Why Taiwan Matters (2023) explores how Taiwan became the thriving democracy and semiconductor powerhouse it is today, while explaining its precarious position at the center of US-China tensions. It examines how Taiwan’s 23 million people manage their complex relationship with China that increasingly threatens to forcibly reclaim the island – potentially triggering a global conflict.
Who should read Why Taiwan Matters?
- Technology and business leaders concerned with Asia-Pacific markets
- Fans of history, international relations, and geopolitics
- Anyone who cares about the future of democracy in Asia
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