Taiwan in Transformation: 1895-2005: The Challenge of a New Democracy to an Old Civilization

Military Review, March-April, 2008 by Ralph O. Doughty

TAIWAN IN TRANSFORMATION: 1895-2005: The Challenge of a New Democracy to an Old Civilization, Chun-chieh Huang, Transaction Publishers, New Brunswick, NJ. 2007, 252 pages, $49.95.

Taiwan in Transformation is a lively history of the island that begins in 1895, when Taiwan was ceded to Japan, and ends in 2005, with the pressure increasing on Taiwan either to declare its independence or return to its roots as a Chinese province.

The author, Chun-chieh Huang, describes the nostalgia of the Taiwanese for their mother country, China, that was aroused by the Japanese occupation and then shattered as a result of the corruption, discrimination, and abuses of power of the Chinese Nationalist government in the 1950s. Also discussed are Taiwan's historic transition from an agrarian to an industrial society--the "economic miracle" that led to the rise of the middle class and the creation of a middle-class intelligentsia--and the changes in culture and attitude that ensued.

It was during the great economic change, in the late 1980s and 1990s, that the Taiwanese began to resent the heavy-handed tactics of the mainland's oppressive Communist regime. Today. the Taiwanese are faced with the challenge of developing a mature relationship with the People's Republic that can survive the pressure for either a quick unification or a quick declaration of independence. Author Huang believes that only a solid understanding of the historical experiences of both the Taiwanese and mainland Chinese can point the way to a solution that will enable peaceful coexistence.

A recognized historian and native Taiwanese, Huang exudes a real understanding of the culture and feelings of the Taiwanese people. He evinces a depth of knowledge about the country and its transformation over the last 110 years, a transformation that ultimately increased the availability of information and educational opportunities for working-class Taiwanese, thereby accelerating the process of democratization. According to Huang, it was Taiwan's educated citizenry and their commercial contacts with Western businesses, educational institutions, and governments that pushed the island toward a Western political-economic model.

Taiwan in Transformation is a well-written, interesting book, albeit a bit redundant in places. It presents a wealth of historical and cultural material that explains how Taiwan transformed itself into one of the most powerful and efficient technology centers in the world, and why China and Taiwan seem to be bent on a collision course. With the U.S. still committed to safeguarding the island's autonomy and the People's Republic now a great power on the international stage. Taiwan in Transformation has much to offer those in the defense and policy establishments.

MG Ralph O. Doughty, Retired, Ph.D., Fort Leavenworth, Kansas