ABSTRACT
The organized opposition mounted an unrelenting attack on Taiwan's political establishment in 1988, but it had a great deal of trouble getting its own house in order. Taiwan's environmentalists were busy in 1988. In the 1980s Chiang Ching-kuo began a concerted effort at "Taiwanization," that is, promoting Taiwanese to top positions in the party, state, and to a lesser extent, the military. Taiwan used the "Chinese Taipei" formula and participated in the Seoul Olympics, where its team received a warm welcome from the crowds. Taiwan's relations with the United States continued to be soured by trade controversy. One of the most contentious trade issues between the United States and Taiwan remains the exchange rate between the US dollar and the New Taiwan dollar. Taiwan took the initiative in relations with the People's Republic of China, indicating a new aura of confidence which caught Beijing off-guard.
