Seminar on Asian Democratization

Week 5 Lecture — Taiwan

March 15, 2022

Min-Hua Huang ( 黃旻華 )

 Taiwan— Case Significance
• The same test on South Korea can be carried out in the case of Taiwan,
which is another genuinely successful case of democratization
explained by the modernization theory .
8

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19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 20 20 20 20 20 20 20
72 75 78 81 84 87 91 94 97 00 03 06 09 12 15 18

Inverse FH score log(GDP per capita)

 Brief Introduction
• Taiwan was formerly under the rule of the Qing Dynasty in 1683.
• In the Pre-Qing era, there are several regimes established and partially ruling Taiwan
for different areas (most notably Dutch in the South and Spanish in the North),
including several indigenous regimes as well.
• Chines immigrants from Fujian and Guangdong became the main body of residents
after the late Ming period. However, indigenous people have already lived in Taiwan
for a long time.
• For most part of the Qing Dynasty, Taiwan administratively was only a prefectural-
level city ( 府，相當於今日的六都 ) under Fujian province.
• Taiwan was formerly elevated to the status of a province after 1885 due to the Sino-
French War in 1884, but soon fell into Japanese rule after 1895.
• KMT government ruled Taiwan since 1945 with an authoritative government and
democratization finally came at 1992 or 1996, depending on definitions.
 Timeline for Democratization (similar to Korea)
• Thriving social forces developing in 1980s.
• Kaohsiung Incident (or called Meilidao Incident) happened in December 1979.
This incident established the opposition legacy hereafter.
• The most important event is Chiang Ching-Kuo’s lift of the martial law on July 15,
1987, which allows popular election for the change of the government. But
whether that translated into the direct election of the Presidency remained
uncertain until the 1994 constitutional revision.
• Lee Teng-hui not only won the first presidential election in 1996 with a landside
margin, he was later perceived as “Mr. Democracy” ( 民主先生 ).
• However, his change of political stance also inflicted huge controversy.
• The first power alternation came in 2000 when Chen Shui-ban (pan-green) won
the presidency with a very slim margin. The second time came at 2008 by Ma
Ying-jeou (pan-blue).
 Presidents

Chiang Kai-shek Chiang Ching-kuo Lee Teng-hui Chen Shui-ban Ma Ying-jeou Tsai Ying-wen

• fmr Authoritarian • fmr Authoritarian • fmr • Pan-Green • Pan-Blue • Pan-Green

Authoritarian &
• Military • Perceived as an • Having the most • Having • Having the
first president
strongman authoritarian rule momentum of the involved with least partisan
under democracy
but initiated the opposition legacy the authoritarian image before
democratization • Perceived as and meritocracy past 2012.
process with a the one who
• Later became • Very popular • Dominating the
top-down managed to
very controversial among the pan- pan-Green
method. finish Taiwan’s
Blue supporters. hereafter.
democratization.
 Main Features in Taiwan Politics
• Generally Taiwan politics fits a two-party system.
• Political polarization is widespread and severe.
• Taiwan fits the modernization theory because the thriving development of
the opposition in 1980s vindicate the timing and process depicted.
• However, if looking to Taiwan’s case carefully, it is the authoritarian leader
Chiang Ching-kuo who launched and established the democratization
processes.
• Lee Tend-hui is mainly credited by finishing these processes with
sophisticated political skills under a very precarious environment.
• Taiwan politics after 2000 was very westernized and fits into a similar
framework under the influence of polarized politics, globalization, and the
rise of China.
 Key Questions and Comments in Taiwan Politics
• How to explain the worsening polarized politics but solid democratic
politics in Taiwan.
• How does the civil society influence Taiwan politics ?
• How China plays a role in Taiwan politics?
• Would pan-blue/pan-green party structure being reshuffled in the near
future given the long-term split and weak KMT?
• How the United States impact Taiwan politics in different contexts?
• Despite being a successful case, Taiwan democracy is far from perfect and
has many problems. Can you foresee any of them that might jeopardize
Taiwan’s future democracy?
 Three Research Presentations

• Taiwan’s Democracy at Multiple Crossings (2021)

• Polarized Politics and Democratic Legitimacy (2014)

• Political Activism (2017)