ABSTRACT
In the 1980s and 1990s, Taiwan’s military maintained a qualitative edge over the numerically superior but relatively poorly trained and equipped Chinese armed forces. This chapter presents a brief overview of Chinese military modernization and the threat to Taiwan’s security, and assesses Taiwan’s defence policy. It analyses the politics of defence policy in Taiwan, with particular attention devoted to the influence of party politics and the effects of Taiwan’s system of government. The chapter addresses the implications for Taiwan’s national security and US foreign policy. Domestic political considerations have always played an important part in Taiwan’s national security and defence policy decisions, but the salience of political institutions and policy disagreements has increased dramatically as a result of the island’s democratization. Taiwan has a semi-presidential system that combines elements of presidential and parliamentary systems. The most damaging feature of Taiwan’s political system is the lack of institutional mechanisms to stabilize the balance of power between the legislative and executive branches.
