Social Forces in the Re-Making of Cross-Strait Relations

<p>Adopting a critical political economy perspective this book sheds new light on the social and political struggles that shaped the political dynamics of Taiwan-China relations and cross-Strait rapprochement between 2008 and 2014.</p><p>Presenting a careful analysis of primary sources and interviews the book reconstructs the historical political and socio-economic factors that shaped Taiwan’s path to the Sunflower Movement of 2014 reinterpreting this process as a struggle over Taiwan’s role in the global economy. It challenges received wisdoms regarding the rise and fall of the rapprochement: First the study argues that the rapprochement was not primarily driven by political elites but by capitalist conglomerates within Taiwan which sought a normalisation of economic relations across the Taiwan Strait. Second it finds that Taiwan’s social movements during that period were not homogeneous but rather struggled to find a common vision that could unite the critics of the rapprochement. </p><p>The insights provided not only offer a deeper understanding of Taiwan’s protest cycle between 2008 and 2014 but also serve to recontextualise the political dynamics in post-Sunflower Taiwan. As such it will appeal to students and scholars of Taiwan Studies East Asian Politics and Social Movement Studies.</p>