ABSTRACT
Taiwan has, in the last decade, undergone a full transition from authoritarianism to democracy. With Taiwan being an ethnically divided society under constant military threats, democracy building in Taiwan has been complicated by issues related to nation building and state building. In terms of identity politics, Taiwan's democracy building is characterized by the following triadic relations: the effort of the society's ethnic majority to establish a new nation-state is resisted by an ethnic minority, whose desire to unify with its national homeland is echoed by the latter's readiness to end the identity dispute with force. This chapter analyzes the impact of democratization on national identity and national security. The recent escalation of cross-strait tension has raised the concerns of many on Taiwan's national security, worrying whether the new democracy can defend itself when China does launch military attacks. As long as threats from China exist, Taiwan's national security will remain a test to its democratic stability.
