PS199B  Taiwan: Domestic Politics and External Threats

Spring 2004

M W 5:30 PM-6:45 PM (Perkins 307)

 

Professor Emerson Niou                                                                                                              

         Office Hours: W 10-12, 406 Perkins Library (O)660-4307 niou@duke.edu

Professor Hui-Wan Cho, National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan

         cho@dragon.nchu.edu.tw

 

Course Description

 

Tension and conflict have persisted across the Taiwan Straits for the last five decades. In this course, we will study the causes of and possible solutions to this contest between Taiwan and mainland China. Specially, we will discuss the effects of the following factors on the status quo in the Taiwan Strait: (1) evolving public opinion in Taiwan on the independence versus unification  issue, (2) the US security commitments to Taiwan, (3) China’s growing military threats, and (4) the increasing trade relations between Taiwan and mainland China. We will also pay close attention to the upcoming Taiwan presidential election on March 20, 2004 and discuss how the election outcome might influence Taiwan’s relations with the mainland, and its implication for the United States.

 

Grading:

1.)   Class Participation, 20%: Class attendance and participation in discussion are highly encouraged. I will call on you to express your opinions on readings or issues we discuss in class. If you are absent or if you do not keep up with the reading, your class participation grade will be affected.

2.)   First Book Review, 10 double-spaced pages, 20%: Tucker, Nancy B. Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the United States, 1945-1992. Due February 4.

3.)   Second Book Review, 10 double-spaced pages, 20%: Shelley Rigger, Politics in Taiwan, 1999, Routledge, or From Opposition to Power: Taiwan’s Progressive Party, 2001, Lynne Rienner Publishers. Due March 24.

4.)   Final paper, 40%: Students will do an analytical essay or short research paper of 15-20 double spaced pages on a subject mutually agreed upon by the student and instructor. One page proposal due March 31; Final paper due April 19.

 

Readings:

 

Tucker, Nancy B. Taiwan, Hong Kong and the United States: 1945-1992.

Rigger, Shelley, Politics in Taiwan (Routledge 1999)

Shelley Rigger, From Opposition to Power: Taiwan’s Progressive Party, 2001, Lynne Rienner Publishers.

Gibert, Stephen P. and William M. Carpenter. eds. 1989. America and Island China: A Documentary History. Lanham, MD: University Press of America. (recommended)

 

 

Meetings and Assignments

1 (1/7). Organization and Introduction: An explanation of scope of the course, readings and student assignments.

 

2 (1/12 & 1/14). US/ROC-Taiwan/PRC Relations: Alliance, Civil War, Containment.

 

The Mao Years, Part I (video, 60 minutes)

Tucker, Nancy B. Taiwan, Hong Kong and the United States: 1945-1992, Chapters 1-5, pp. 1-93.

Clough, Ralph, Island China,  1-32; 95-147 (recommended)

Clough, Ralph N. 1999. Cooperation or Conflict in the Taiwan Strait. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.11-29 (recommended)

Gibert, Stephen P. and William M. Carpenter. eds. 1989. America and Island China: A Documentary History. Lanham, MD: University Press of America. 77-131 (recommended)

3 (1/21). Nixon’s China Game

 

Tucker, Nancy B. Taiwan, Hong Kong and the United States: 1945-1992, Chapter 6, pp. 94-124.

Henry Kissinger, White House Years, 1979 (recommended).

Henry Kissinger’s Secret Trip to China: National Security Archive Electronic Briefing Book No. 66 http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB66/#docs (recommended)

Nixon’s China Game (PBS video, 60 minutes)

4 (1/26 & 1/28). US/Taiwan/PRC Relations Since US-China Normalization: Three Communiqués and the Taiwan Relations Act

 

Tucker, Nancy B. Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the United States, 1945-1992. pp. 125-159.

Damrosch, Lori Fisler. 1990. The Taiwan Relations Act after Ten Years. Occasional Papers/Reprints Series in Contemporary Asian Studies (99). Baltimore, MD: School of Law University of Maryland.

Gibert, Stephen P. and William M. Carpenter. eds. 111-115, 201-203, 206-207, 209-210, 222-230, 308-314, 325-326 (recommended)

 

5 (1/31) Conference on Stability and Change in the Taiwan Strait

 

Kresge Classroom, R. David Thomas Conference Center, 9am-5pm

 

6 (2/2). The International Legal Status of Taiwan

 

Hungdah Chiu, “The International Legal Status of Taiwan,” In Jean-Marie Henckaerts ed. The International Status of Taiwan in the New World Order, 3-8.

Hans Kuijper, “ Is Taiwan a Part of China,” In Jean-Marie Henckaerts ed., 9-19.

Michael C. Davis, “Toward Modern Concepts of Sovereignty and Statehood,” In Jean-Marie Henckaerts ed. The International Status of Taiwan in the New World Order (The Hague: Kluwer Law, 1996), 21-32.

Cho Hui-Wan, Taiwan’s Application to GATT/WTO: Significance of Multilateralism for an Unrecognized State, (Westport, Conn: Praeger, 2002), 171-182.

 

7 (2/4). Taiwan’s Participation in International Organizations

 

Tucker, Nancy B. Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the United States, 1945-1992. pp. 160-196.

“Legal Aspects of the Problem of Representation in the United Nations,” In Jean-Marie Henckaerts ed., 262-264.

Linjun Wu, “Limitations and Prospects of Taiwan’s Informal Diplomacy,” In Jean-Marie Henckaerts ed., 35-52.

Cho Hui-Wan, Taiwan’s Application to GATT/WTO: Significance of Multilateralism for an Unrecognized State, (Westport, Conn: Praeger, 2002), 139-170.

 

(1st book review due on 2/4)

 

8 (2/9). Political Development Under Chiang Ching-kuo and Later.

 

Rigger, Shelley, Politics in Taiwan (Routledge 1999) pp. 1-131

 

9 (2/11 & 2/16). Status and Prospects for Taiwan's Domestic Development.

 

Tug of War: The Story of Taiwan (film)

Rigger, Politics in Taiwan pp. 131-194

Niou and Paolino. “The Rise of the Opposition Party in Taiwan: Explaining Chen Shui-bian’s Victory in the 2000 Presidential Election in Taiwan,” Electoral Studies, 22(4):721-740, December 2003.

 

10 (2/18). 1996 Taiwan-Strait Crisis

 

               Frontline: Dangerous Straits (PBS video, 60 minutes)

 

11 (2/23 & 2/25). U.S. Role in the Cross-Strait Relations

 

Freeman, Charles, Preventing War in the Taiwan Strait, Foreign Affairs, July-August 1998, pp. 6-11.

Ross, Robert S. The 1995-96 Taiwan Strait Confrontation: Coercion, Credibility, and the Use of Force. International Security. 25(2). 87-123.

Nye, Joseph S. Jr. 1998. A Taiwan Deal, The Washington Post. March 8.

Carpenter, Ted Galen. 1998. Let Taiwan Defend Itself, Cato Policy Analysis. (313)

Harding, Harry. 2000. Again on Interim Arrangements in the Taiwan Strait, In Gerrit w. Gong ed. Taiwan Strait Dilemmas: China-Taiwan-U.S. Policies in the New Century. Washington, DC: The CSIS Press.

Tucker, Nancy B., China-Taiwan: U.S. Debates and Policy Choices, Survival,Vol.40, No.4, Winter 1998, pp.150-167.

Benson, Brett V. and Emerson M.S. Niou. 2001. Comprehending Strategic Ambiguity: US Policy Toward the Taiwan Strait Security Issue.

James H. Mann, About Face : A History of America's Curious Relationship With China, 2000, Vintage Books (recommended).

12 (3/1 & 3/3).  Public Opinion on the Taiwan Independence Issue

 

Emerson Niou, Understanding Taiwan Independence and Its Policy Implications.

 

(3/8 & 3/10)    Spring Break

 

(3/15 & 3/17)  no classes

 

13 (3/22 & 3/24).  Reports on the 2004 Presidential Election in Taiwan

 

(2nd book review due on 3/24) Shelley Rigger, Politics in Taiwan, 1999, Routledge, or From Opposition to Power: Taiwan’s Progressive Party, 2001, Lynne Rienner Publishers.

 

14 (3/29 & 3/31). Trade and Politics

 

Tung, Chen-Yuan. 2003. Cross-Strait Economic Relations: China’s Leverage and Taiwan’s Vulnerability. Issues and Studies 39:137-175.

(E-reserve)

Benson, Brett and Emerson Niou. Trade and Peace: A Game-Theoretic Analysis. Working paper.

Bolt, Paul J. 2001. “Economic Ties Across the Taiwan Strait: Buying Time for Compromise.” Issues and Studies 37: 80-105. (recommended)

Dent, Christopher. 2001. “Navigating Taiwan’s Foreign Economic Policy.” Issues and Studies 37: 1-34. (recommended)

 

15 (4/5 & 4/7) China’s Military Threat to Taiwan and the United States

 

 

(4/12 & 4/14) reading and writing period for the final paper

 

16 (4/19 & 4/21) Student presentations

 

Final paper due. Each student will brief the class on the main findings of his or her paper.