Social forces in the re-making of cross-strait relations : hegemony and social movements in Taiwan / André Beckershoff.

London ; New York : Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, 2024.

xii, 279 pages ; 25 cm.

"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. 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. 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"-- Provided by publisher.

Online version: Beckershoff, André. Social forces in the re-making of cross-strait relations London ; New York, NY : Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2024

English

March 12, 2024

Routledge Research on Taiwan Series ; 42

Includes bibliographical references and index.