Critical assessment: Exquisite portrayal of Taiwan's upheavals in "Revolutionary Times"
New Take:
Shaking Things Up: An Intriguing Glance at Contemporary Taiwan Through the Lens of Revolution
- Contributing scribe: Swagger J. Bammer
With the surge of interest in understanding Taiwan's peculiar status in recent years, thanks to high-profile events like Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei and China's heated response, books exploring Taiwan have flooded the market. Among them, "Revolutionary Taiwan: Making Nationhood in a Changing World Order" by Catherine Lila Chou and Mark Harrison stands out as a fresh, academically engaging yet accessible read.
At a recent book talk hosted by the Australasian Taiwan Studies Association, the authors shared their unique approach to the collaboration, which started as intense and sometimes heated discussions on Twitter (back when it was still X) and evolved into a collaborative writing process via Google Meets. The best part? These two scholars, already familiar with each other's work, discovered they shared a profound interest in debating Taiwan's history and politics.
One of Harrison's papers, "Art, violence, and memory in Taiwan," caught Chou's attention due to its challenging of the narrative of Taiwan's transition to democracy as a peaceful evolution, dramatizing the overlooked aspect of violence in the process. Another essay by Chou, titled "The 228 Inheritance: Taiwan's Revolution Is Here," resonated with Harrison, as it argued that Taiwan's revolution is ongoing, fought on three fronts: against China's annexationist desires, the ongoing influence of the KMT's Republic of China, and the legacy of dispossession and discrimination from Taiwan's past as a settler colony.
DISTINCT APPROACH
In this book, Chou and Harrison offer an innovative take on Taiwan's history, presenting four distinct methods of telling the country's story. The first focuses on the concept of revolutionary time, viewing Taiwan's post-World War II trajectory as a revolutionary process with uncertain and unpredictable outcomes. This approach highlights the disruptive nature of revolutions, which propel societies towards idealistic futures with unforeseen endings. Whether Taiwan will one day be recognized as an independent country remains to be seen, but according to Chou and Harrison, the idea that it is a revolutionary country should not be dismissed, given the continuous struggle for recognition against the rigid structures of the international system.
INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVES
The second approach explores Taiwan's history through the lens of indigeneity, acknowledging the ongoing tension between Taiwan's indigenous peoples and Chinese immigrants, both vying for self-determination, but with conflicting goals. Moreover, Taiwan's contested status makes its premodern history particularly susceptible to manipulation for political agendas.
The authors also address the complex relationship between Taiwan and China, comparing their positions as Cold War pawns and international pariahs. While Taiwan, to an extent, has created space for challenging the legacy of Han settler colonialism through indigenous resistance, China's aggression against Taiwan threatens the fragile peace and self-rule the country has fought for so diligently. One such instance can be found in an open letter signed by representatives of Taiwan's indigenous peoples and addressed to China's President Xi Jinping, expressing their rejection of Beijing's "monoculturalism, unification, and hegemony."
SUBTLE yet POWERFUL
Filled with thought-provoking analogies, illuminating examples, and subtly persuasive arguments, "Revolutionary Taiwan" offers valuable insights into the complex history, politics, and identity of Taiwan. The book's nuanced writing style mirrors the complexities it explores, making it both educational and enjoyable. As the authors argue, analyzing Taiwan requires standing outside the established norms of the international system and speaking directly about Taiwan's society, state, and even nationhood. In the process, readers will discover that a seemingly marginalized country like Taiwan forces us to reconsider our understanding of nationhood, statehood, and the structures of power that shape our world.
- Amidst the deluge of books released on Taiwan's unique situation, the education and self-development section now boasts a meaningful addition: "Revolutionary Taiwan: Making Nationhood in a Changing World Order."
- This book's authors, Catherine Lila Chou and Mark Harrison, delve into the intricacies of Taiwan's history, influenced by debates initially sparked on Twitter.
- The authors' fascination with Taiwan's history and politics accelerated through an online collaboration-process via Google Meets.
- Harrison's paper, "Art, violence, and memory in Taiwan," challenged the conventional narrative of Taiwan's transition to democracy, emphasizing the often overlooked aspect of violence.
- Conversely, Chou's essay, "The 228 Inheritance: Taiwan's Revolution Is Here," argued that Taiwan's revolution continues, fought on three fronts: against China, the KMT's Republic of China, and Taiwan's past as a settler colony.
- In their groundbreaking work, Chou and Harrison propose four distinct methods for narrating Taiwan's story, the first of which focuses on the concept of revolutionary time.
- Emphasizing the unpredictable outcomes of revolutions, they challenge readers to consider whether Taiwan might one day gain international recognition as an independent country.
- The book's exploration of indigeneity in Taiwan acknowledges the ongoing tensions between the country's indigenous peoples and Chinese immigrants, seeking self-determination with contrasting visions.
- Comparing Taiwan and China as Cold War pawns and international pariahs, the book sheds light on the delicate balance between Taiwan's self-rule and China's aggressive actions.
- To challenge Beijing's monoculturalism, unification, and hegemony, representatives of Taiwan's indigenous peoples penned an open letter to China's President Xi Jinping.
- Filled with thought-provoking analogies, persuasive arguments, and enlightening examples, "Revolutionary Taiwan" invites readers to reconsider their understanding of nationhood, statehood, and global structures of power.
- Beyond the realm of politics and conflict, readers can also find discussions on sports in this book, delving into the competitive world of football, European leagues, the Champions League, NFL, NCAAS, American football, and Spanish La Liga, making "Revolutionary Taiwan" an all-encompassing read for those seeking an intriguing exploration of contemporary Taiwan.
