ABSTRACT
The constant repositioning and re-enunciation of Taiwan in its national imagination since the 1990s reveals a process of re-centering the island’s spatial self in the world. This chapter examines Taiwan’s metaphorical severance from China and place-making efforts, and reflects on the island’s aspirations to be integrated into the Asia-Pacific framework and become a ‘World Island’. The emphasis on Taiwan’s new identity as a ‘marine nation’ and the promotion of local awareness can both be seen as phenomena of ‘cultural awakening’ and coping strategies in the face of globalization and the rise of China.
