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二戰末期，亞洲局勢一片渾沌，台灣的未來走向成為影響深遠的問題之一。歷經日本殖民與二戰，並在戰後交由國民黨統治的中華民國接收，台灣的地位與前途至今仍可能引發戰爭。隨著民主在這座島嶼深化，台灣在維持實質獨立的同時，也持續牽動北京對統一的強烈主張，本書帶領讀者理解台灣複雜獨特的背景，更清晰梳理「台灣」何以成為國際政治上極為特殊的存在。
A gripping account of the past and future of Taiwan
'Deeply researched and fascinating' - The Guardian
In the overwhelming chaos across Asia at the end of the Second World War, one relatively minor issue was the future of the Japanese colony of Taiwan, a large island some one hundred miles off the coast of Fujian. Handed to the Kuomintang-ruled Republic of China, in 1949 it suddenly became the focus of global attention as a random cross-section of defeated Nationalists, including President Chiang Kai-shek, fled there from Mao's triumphant Communist forces.
The Struggle for Taiwan is a balanced and convincing account of the sequence of events that has left Taiwan for generations as a political anomaly, with issues around its status and future continuing to threaten war. With deepening democratization, Taiwan further goads Beijing, remaining functionally independent from China even as Xi Jinping clamours for unification.
This invaluable book allows readers to understand the complex story of this unique place and its role in international relations. With its striking economic dynamism and commitment to democracy, can Taiwan continue - as Hong Kong once did - to thrive, or will China conquer it? And will the world be able to maintain peace across the Taiwan Strait or will it stumble into war?
Sulmaan Wasif Khan
Sulmaan Wasif Khan is the Denison Chair in History and International Relations at the Fletcher School, Tufts University. He is the author of HAUNTED BY CHAOS and MUSLIM, TRADER, NOMAD, SPY. His writing has appeared in the Economist, Foreign Affairs, and Foreign Policy.
