Taiwan - Young China's Democracy

Abstract

The essay deals with the rise of democracy in Taiwan, points out atthe
aspecific role of the reform politician Lee Teng-hui, and his contribution by
toaccelerating the anevolution from ofauthoritarian regime into a
democratic one. The contemporary political situation in Taiwan is
characterised ticby the existence of two strong political blocks - the panblue and pan-green alliances, which have been formed along the two main
political parties: the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Democratic progressive
party (DPP), former opposition. A Taiwan's dilemma of future reunification
with the mainland China (People's Republic of China) is an theimportant
political issue, which dievides the two leading alliances, as well as the public
opinion. The phenomenon of the rising Taiwanese nationalism, which is
used by the pan-green alliance, is becoming a substantial circumstance in
apower competition. The final part of the essay aims to present lacethe
specific case of Taiwan's democracy along with the debate in Foreign Affairs
(May/June 1998) about the a mutual connection of democracy and
liberalism. The discussion opposed the anarticle written by the journalist
Fareed Zakaria, who had pointed out at athe positive role of liberalisation
under the authoritarian regimes in comparison with quick democratization
in ilnon-liberal baeckgrounds.