There has never been greater international interest in Taiwan, nor such widespread concern. This moment is long overdue. For decades, Taiwanese people have hoped that their achievements in economic transformation and democratic transition would be recognized, and that Taiwan could participate and contribute to international society on its own merits. For political reasons discussed throughout this book, that has not happened. Taiwan's desire to be seen as a respected player on the global stage has generally been frustrated. It is ironic that it took the intensification of PRC threats to alert global audiences to Taiwan's many achievements, and to inculcate feelings of solidarity for Taiwan's struggle. To meaningfully care about what happens in Taiwan, however, requires an understanding of what makes Taiwan special, why it matters and what can be done to keep Taiwan peaceful.

This book is pitched at readers who are new to Taiwan and want to learn more about it. We hope to introduce the complexities of Taiwan and “the Taiwan issue” in a clear and accessible way. We cannot speak on behalf of Taiwanese people or articulate what it means to be Taiwanese, but we can speak to the process of learning about Taiwan. Our research and experiences as academics can help connect those who want to know more about Taiwan. We anticipate that this group will include policymakers, journalists, businesspeople, students and concerned citizens around the world. Both authors have worked extensively with such stakeholders and have identified a need and appetite for this kind of publication. In this book, we aim to provide a comprehensive and balanced discussion of “where are we at?”, an explanation of “how did we get here?”, and informed speculation about “where are things heading?”

One of our main motivations for writing the book is to recentre Taiwan. In doing so, we want to provide an alternative to typical analyses that depict Taiwan as a passive object or define it solely as a site of potential conflict. As western academic specialists of Taiwanese politics who have spent much of our lives studying and living in Taiwan, we are keenly aware that Taiwan is frequently relegated to a “flashpoint” and a cause of nebulous “tensions”.