Taiwan’s Soft Power and the Future of Cross-Strait Relations: Can the Tail Wag the Dog?

Abstract

The dynamics of cross-Strait relations present an extremely interesting case for the study of soft power. In terms of the distribution of hard power—that is, coercive force and economic strength—Taiwan has suffered from an increasingly unfavorable asymmetric relationship with mainland China (the People’s Republic of China, or PRC), with China enjoying an overwhelming advantage that only grows stronger with each passing day. But just as China’s hard power to cajole Taiwan to move in its favored direction by coercion and economic inducement has risen rapidly over the last two decades, Beijing’s policy toward Taiwan has paradoxically become more accommodating.

This chapter is based on a paper that was presented at an international conference on “Soft Power, Identity and Public Diplomacy in East Asia,” which was co-organized by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and the East Asia Institute and sponsored by the Korea Foundation, December 10–12, 2008, Seoul, South Korea. The author thanks Byung-Kook Kim, Nan-young Lee, and Peter Katzenstein for their comments and suggestions.