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 pan blue 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.