Taiwan in Historical Perspective

This chapter presents a historical review that focuses on Taiwanese identity, the rise of China, cross-Strait relations and the role of the United States within the sub-region of Northeast Asia. It begins with the account of prehistoric times, but its main emphasis is on the era from the establishment of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1949 onward. The chapter then proceeds from early history to the arrival of the Japanese in 1895. It covers the era of Japanese rule from 1895 to 1945, the initial decades of Nationalist rule, the Taiwanese economic miracle when identity-related developments appear, and the key interactions involving the Democratic Progressive Party in power vis-à-vis the United States and PRC in the new millennium. The chapter sums up the history of Taiwan to provide a context for examination of academic literature, along with results from elite interviews and opinion surveys.