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Difficult Choices: Taiwan's Quest for Security and the Good Life
How Taiwan can overcome internal stresses and the threat from China Taiwan was a poster child for the “third wave” of global democratization in the 1980s. It was the first Chinese society to make the transition to democracy, and it did so gradually and peacefully. But Taiwan today faces a host of internal issues, starting with the aging of society and the resulting intergenerational conflicts over spending priorities. China's long-term threat to incorporate the island on terms similar to those used for Hong Kong exacerbates the island's home-grown problems. Taiwan remains heavily dependent on the United States for its security, but it must use its own resources to cope with Beijing's constant intimidation and pressure. How Taiwan responds to the internal and external challenges it faces—and what the United States and other outside powers do to help—will determine whether it is able to stand its ground against China's ambitions. The book explores the broad range of issues and policy choices Taiwan confronts and offers suggestions both for what Taiwan can do to help itself and what the United States should do to improve Taiwan's chances of success.
- GenresNonfictionChinaAsia
430 pages, Paperback
Published April 13, 2021
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86 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 25, 2021
An excellent, well-documented and well-argued book, on several issues faced by Taiwan to preserve its security and quality of life for its citizens. For anyone wanting to understand 2021 security, economic, or political facing Taiwan, this book is a must read contemporary book (published in 2021).
The author has held several positions in and out of the US government, related East Asia Policy Studies and Taiwan, e.g., on the House Foreign Affairs Committee's Subcommittee on Asian and Pacific Affairs, as chairman and managing director of the American Institute in Taiwan, and at the Brookings Institute. In the 1970s, he spent part of his graduate degree time in Taiwan.
The distance from the day-to-day politics in Taiwan, his expertise, and his caring for the people of Taiwan, allows him to explaining, in clear and often data-documented ways, the challenges faced by Taiwan. These challenges include foremost, the relationship with the People’s Republic of China (PRC); structural issues of the Republic of China’s (ROC’s) constitution; its budgetary process; the legacy of martial law on the public and the distrust between the leading parties, the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP); transitional justice for victims of the White Terror during martial law; the relationship with the United States; and ultimately its own security, both military but also psychological.
In presenting these issues, the reader gains an understanding of the history of Taiwan, its transition from martial law to democracy, the evolving sense of identity (e.g., Taiwanese, Taiwanese and Chinese, Chinese), the clear public opinion of keeping a status quo (not independent, not integrated into China under the PRC’s interpretation of One country, two systems). The author provides readers with political science definitions of identity, sovereignty, nation, and state, to help understand issues between Taiwan and PRC; the five branches of government or the ROC (three similar to the US, namely executive, legislative, judicial, as well as two others, the Control and Examination); legal constraints in the ROC Constitution that restrict changes, dictate funds for education; and the population's unwillingness to spend more taxes, even with the increasing military capabilities of the PRC.
As the author states several times, Taiwan is facing issues many democracies face, especially with needed long-term gains, often through short-term pain. However, Taiwan is unique with the increasing existential pressure from the PRC. The PRC has taken a long-term approach to its claim of one China: the increase in capability of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) as a physical threat to Taiwan, and the policy of coercion without violence as a psychological threat to the people and to undermine the trust of a functioning ROC government.
The author discusses how politicians have tried to address these threats, by assurances to Beijing and by working with the United States.
The author concludes with some concrete suggestions that could mitigate the treats and position Taiwan better to face Beijing. One, in particular, is aimed at leaders to lead, to overcome polarization to understand the real threats are not in Taiwan, but external.
Having read many books about Taiwan, from the retrocession to the ROC after World War II, to the bloody crack-down and repression of the 2-2-8 massacre and the ensuing years of White Terror, to the emergence of democracy in the 1990s, and the involvement of people in democratic process (e.g., Sun Flower Movement), this book summarized the governmental, political, economic, social issues facing Taiwan today.
Furthermore, the book has provided me a more balanced understanding of the many issues facing friends, colleagues, and the citizens of Taiwan.
To the author: Thank You!
An excellent, must-read assessment of the contemporary issues facing Taiwan and its citizens as they balance their resources to counter pressures from the PRC and keeps its identity, standard of living, and democracy. I learned a great deal, both substance and nuance!
Disclaimer: The review covers only a portion of the contents of the book.
The author has held several positions in and out of the US government, related East Asia Policy Studies and Taiwan, e.g., on the House Foreign Affairs Committee's Subcommittee on Asian and Pacific Affairs, as chairman and managing director of the American Institute in Taiwan, and at the Brookings Institute. In the 1970s, he spent part of his graduate degree time in Taiwan.
The distance from the day-to-day politics in Taiwan, his expertise, and his caring for the people of Taiwan, allows him to explaining, in clear and often data-documented ways, the challenges faced by Taiwan. These challenges include foremost, the relationship with the People’s Republic of China (PRC); structural issues of the Republic of China’s (ROC’s) constitution; its budgetary process; the legacy of martial law on the public and the distrust between the leading parties, the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP); transitional justice for victims of the White Terror during martial law; the relationship with the United States; and ultimately its own security, both military but also psychological.
In presenting these issues, the reader gains an understanding of the history of Taiwan, its transition from martial law to democracy, the evolving sense of identity (e.g., Taiwanese, Taiwanese and Chinese, Chinese), the clear public opinion of keeping a status quo (not independent, not integrated into China under the PRC’s interpretation of One country, two systems). The author provides readers with political science definitions of identity, sovereignty, nation, and state, to help understand issues between Taiwan and PRC; the five branches of government or the ROC (three similar to the US, namely executive, legislative, judicial, as well as two others, the Control and Examination); legal constraints in the ROC Constitution that restrict changes, dictate funds for education; and the population's unwillingness to spend more taxes, even with the increasing military capabilities of the PRC.
As the author states several times, Taiwan is facing issues many democracies face, especially with needed long-term gains, often through short-term pain. However, Taiwan is unique with the increasing existential pressure from the PRC. The PRC has taken a long-term approach to its claim of one China: the increase in capability of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) as a physical threat to Taiwan, and the policy of coercion without violence as a psychological threat to the people and to undermine the trust of a functioning ROC government.
The author discusses how politicians have tried to address these threats, by assurances to Beijing and by working with the United States.
The author concludes with some concrete suggestions that could mitigate the treats and position Taiwan better to face Beijing. One, in particular, is aimed at leaders to lead, to overcome polarization to understand the real threats are not in Taiwan, but external.
Having read many books about Taiwan, from the retrocession to the ROC after World War II, to the bloody crack-down and repression of the 2-2-8 massacre and the ensuing years of White Terror, to the emergence of democracy in the 1990s, and the involvement of people in democratic process (e.g., Sun Flower Movement), this book summarized the governmental, political, economic, social issues facing Taiwan today.
Furthermore, the book has provided me a more balanced understanding of the many issues facing friends, colleagues, and the citizens of Taiwan.
To the author: Thank You!
An excellent, must-read assessment of the contemporary issues facing Taiwan and its citizens as they balance their resources to counter pressures from the PRC and keeps its identity, standard of living, and democracy. I learned a great deal, both substance and nuance!
Disclaimer: The review covers only a portion of the contents of the book.
April 15, 2022
Very interesting and timely
A very interesting and timely book on the choices facing Taiwan. Possibly at times too detailed. Nevertheless an excellent read.
A very interesting and timely book on the choices facing Taiwan. Possibly at times too detailed. Nevertheless an excellent read.
May 29, 2023
If you need a book that gives you a brief overview of the entire situation of China-Taiwan relations this is really the best book to read first on the matter. The entire material and concepts are extremely digestible. Although it is not explicitly said, but I am glad that the author explains his biases with the policy suggestions moving forward on the matter towards the last chapters of the book. If I had to suggest something for the author, I would want to have more visual examples, that may have color, because I felt like the book was a little to bland when it came to its visuals. The suggestion should be taken lightly though because this is a more academic piece then anything, so the lack of it is understandable.
January 21, 2023
This book focused on the main challenges that Taiwan need to tackle according to the author, the maison ones being energetic, transgenerational Justice, immature democratic system and obviously the One China dilemma and the tension it generates across the Taiwan straight.
The book is well documented and factual which is appreciated. It gives a good overview of the evolution of the Taiwan-China dilemma and how it took root in layers of old policies by Taiwan, China and US, that are now fixated by constitutional structure and difficult to untangle despite current realities. The economic overview and challenges are appreciated. The opening of the book is surprising and use the clever approach of looking at Taiwan budget and its structural limits in flexibility, which is an innovative approach to look at problems and difficulties for changes.
The downside of this book is that there seems to have no clear thesis or main thread through out the book. The author propose solutions to the problems toward the end of the book, but after throwing problems one after another only with a few interconnections, and brushing away all possibilities avenues of improvement for any of them, pulling those at the end is quite unconvincing. Negative tone and lack of clear thread make the book seem unbalanced. A more specific thesis and objective of the book would maybe would have helped.
The book is well documented and factual which is appreciated. It gives a good overview of the evolution of the Taiwan-China dilemma and how it took root in layers of old policies by Taiwan, China and US, that are now fixated by constitutional structure and difficult to untangle despite current realities. The economic overview and challenges are appreciated. The opening of the book is surprising and use the clever approach of looking at Taiwan budget and its structural limits in flexibility, which is an innovative approach to look at problems and difficulties for changes.
The downside of this book is that there seems to have no clear thesis or main thread through out the book. The author propose solutions to the problems toward the end of the book, but after throwing problems one after another only with a few interconnections, and brushing away all possibilities avenues of improvement for any of them, pulling those at the end is quite unconvincing. Negative tone and lack of clear thread make the book seem unbalanced. A more specific thesis and objective of the book would maybe would have helped.
February 3, 2025
Excellent and in-depth analysis of the many challenges facing Taiwan in the coming years. Fairly readable for a book of it's type, it is definitely worth your time if you enjoy reading detailed analysis from an establishment perspective.
I had the chance to present alongside Dr. Bush at a fundraiser this past weekend; he is knowledgable and compassionate, thanks to him for volunteering his time to share about Taiwan!
I had the chance to present alongside Dr. Bush at a fundraiser this past weekend; he is knowledgable and compassionate, thanks to him for volunteering his time to share about Taiwan!
February 18, 2024
一本讓我感覺驚訝跟深省的書，像是一本現代史，也像是本論文，感謝Mr Bush寫下這本書，讓身爲台灣人但並非對證治關注的我，了解到很多重要的台灣跟中國在立場與政治經濟策略上的原由，願當局者跟更多人看到這本書，也願我們集體合作共創台灣的美好未來。
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews