This talk will be based on Professor Lin's new book, Taiwan's China Dilemma: Contested Identities and Multiple Interests in Taiwan's Cross-Strait Economic Policy, Stanford University Press (2016). 

Abstract

China and Taiwan share one of the world's most complex international relationships. Although their similar cultures and complementary economies promoted an explosion of commercial ties since the late 1980s, they have not led to a stable political relationship, let alone progress toward the unification that both governments once claimed to seek. In addition, Taiwan’s economic policy toward China has alternated between liberalization and restriction. Most recently, Taiwan's Sunflower Movement succeeded in obstructing deeper economic ties with China. Why has Taiwan's policy toward China been so controversial and inconsistent?

Author Syaru Shirley Lin explains the divergence between the development of economic and political relations across the Taiwan Strait and the oscillation of Taiwan’s cross-Strait economic policy through the interplay of national identity and economic interests. She shows how the debate over Taiwanese national identity has been intimately linked to Taiwan’s economic policy during a turbulent time in cross-Strait relations. Using primary sources, opinion surveys, and interviews with Taiwanese opinion leaders, she paints a vivid picture of one of the most unsettled and dangerous relationships in the contemporary world.

As Taiwan grapples with the growing importance of the Chinese economy, it also experiences the uneven socio-economic consequences of globalization. This has produced a reconsideration of the desired degree of further integration with China, especially among the younger generations. Taiwan’s China Dilemma illustrates the growing backlash against economic liberalization and regional economic integration around the world.

Biography

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Syaru Shirley Lin teaches political science at the University of Virginia and is a member of the founding faculty of the master’s program in global political economy at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Her book, Taiwan’s China Dilemma: Contested Identities and Multiple Interests in Taiwan's Cross-Strait Economic Policy, was published by Stanford University Press in 2016. She graduated from Harvard College and earned her masters and Ph.D. from the University of Hong Kong. Before starting her academic career, Prof. Lin was a partner at Goldman Sachs, where she was responsible for direct investment in Asia and spearheaded the firm’s investments in many technology start-ups such as Alibaba and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. Previously, she specialized in the privatization of state-owned enterprises in Singapore and China. Prof. Lin’s present board service includes Goldman Sachs Asia Bank, Langham Hospitality Investments and Mercuries Life Insurance. She also advises Crestview Partners and the Focused Ultrasound Foundation and is a member of the Hong Kong Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation.

This event is sponsored by the Taiwan Democracy Project in the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law. It is free and open to the public, and lunch will be served. Please RSVP by October 17.

Abstract:

The Wild Lily movement was a student demonstration in 1990 calling for democracy through direct election. 24 years later, the Sunflower movement was driven by a coalition of students and civic groups that were discontent with the Taiwanese government's handling of China relations. We discuss the general trajectory of student movements and the subsequent rise of numerous 'Third Force' parties that represent a new way for civic engagement in politics. 

Speaker Bio:

Dr. Fan Yun (范雲), PhD, is associate professor of sociology at the National Taiwan University. She is a politician, sociology scholar, feminist theorist, and former chairperson of the Social Democratic Party in Taiwan. After graduating from NTU with a B.A. and M.A. in Sociology, she received her PhD in Sociology from Yale University. She was president of the student association at NTU, assistant research fellow at Academia Sinica, commander for the Wild Lily student movement, and chairperson for the Awakening Foundation for women's rights. Her research interests include social movement, collective action, gender politics, identity politics, civil society and democracy. She has participated in social movement since the Wild Lily student movement in 1990, and was participant and witness to the trajectory of Taiwan’s transition into modern civil society and democracy.

In January 2016, voters in Taiwan went to the polls to select a new president and legislature, bringing to a close President Ma Ying-jeou’s second and final term in office. This roundtable, held at the annual conference of the Association of Asian Studies in Seattle, Washington, brings together four specialists on Taiwanese politics to reflect on the legacy of the last eight years of rule by the Kuomintang (Chinese Nationalist Party), and to consider the challenges facing the new DPP administration of Tsai Ing-wen, which takes office in May 2016. 

The roundtable panel will consider questions about five key developments under President Ma. First, on cross-Strait relations: what has been the political impact of the wide array of agreements that Taipei signed with the PRC, and is this period of enhanced cooperation likely to be sustained by his successor? Second, on the economy: Taiwan’s economy has become increasingly integrated with that of mainland China. What are the long-term political consequences of this trend? Does the next administration have any feasible alternatives to continued dependence on the PRC market? Third, on social changes: wealth inequality has risen significantly under President Ma. Why, and with what consequences for Taiwan’s social compact? Fourth, on social movements: social activism has surged during the Ma era, most notably during the student protests that came to be called the Sunflower Movement. What are the root causes of this increase in social movement activity, and what are likely to be the lasting consequences for Taiwan’s democracy? And finally, on democratic governance: the Ma administration to a surprising degree struggled to pass reforms and to respond effectively to social demands despite holding a large KMT majority in the legislature. Is this worrisome? Does it indicate a general decline in the Taiwanese political system’s ability to govern, or is it something more specific to the Ma administration?  

In considering these questions, the panelists will contribute to the debate about both the state of Taiwan’s democracy and Ma Ying-jeou’s legacy as president.

This special event at the Association for Asian Studies annual conference is sponsored by the Taiwan Democracy Project at the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law at Stanford University.