1. The Importance of Taiwan to China

This chapter introduces the book by explaining why and how Taiwan is important to China. It starts off by explaining how significant Taiwan is in the calculation and strategic interest of the Chinese Communist Party, which has a monopoly of power in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). It examines how Taiwan contributed to the economic success of the PRC but posits that Taiwan exerts an even stronger impact in areas that political scientists often overlook. It shows that much as political and economic factors matter, it is in the cultural and day-to-day living realm that Taiwan’s impact on the Mainland Chinese is at its greatest. This ranges from popular songs and novels to the Taiwanese approach to civility. It stresses that Taiwan’s impact on China rests ultimately on the effectiveness of its “soft power.”