ABSTRACT
Ever since Taiwan’s democratic transition in the late 1980s, one of its most important political issues has been the question of how to handle relations with China. The salience of this issue in Taiwan’s politics also manifests itself in the fact that national identity has become the only dividing line between Taiwan’s two main political parties. In recent years, as economic ties between Taiwan and China have strengthened and the two economies have integrated, the impact of the China factor on Taiwanese politics has also been growing. If China’s economic development does not halt or radically change course, the impact of this factor is likely to persist into the foreseeable future. What will become of cross-Strait relations if on one side, Taiwan starts to experience a growing desire for independence, while on the other, China continues to claim sovereignty over Taiwan? To be sure, the answer to this question still lies in the future. An examination of the present situation, however, may help to shed light on the impact of the China factor on Taiwanese politics after more than a decade of cross-Strait economic integration.
