ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the hegemonic project's reaction to the challenge of the Wild Strawberry Movement, which suggested a potential for social resistance to the rapprochement. The hegemonic project shifted from inclusion methods that relied on the direct provision of material benefits to the promotion of cultural exchanges. This “Cultural Turn” relied on an adjustment not only of the ideological narrative but also of the forms of organisation. A network of cultural associations with ties to the Taiwanese bourgeoisie, the KMT and the CCP was established, aimed at fostering an affective consent to the cross-Strait rapprochement. The workings of these mechanisms are illustrated by an examination of media cooperation across the Taiwan Strait. Facing a saturated market in Taiwan, media conglomerates not only sought to expand to the Chinese market but also had the capacity to intervene into the ideological struggle regarding cross-Strait relations. The media sector subsequently became the focal point of social activism in Taiwan. The Wild Strawberry Movement had triggered the proliferation of student groups, which established networks of cooperation among themselves and with non-governmental organisations. These networks subsequently became the foundation of the Anti-Media Monopoly Movement. The chapter sheds light on the debates, divisions and struggles that resulted in the emergence of the China Factor narrative.
