Taiwan: A Democracy Facing China
Speaker
Jean-Pierre Cabestan (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, French Research Institute of East Asia)
Date and Time
May 20, 2026, 6 pm - 7.30 pm
Please register here for the Apéro riche after the talk.
Venue
RAA-G-15
Abstract
Taiwan today faces multiple challenges: growing military and political pressure from China, a United States increasingly distracted beyond the Indo-Pacific, a Japan strained in its relations with Beijing, and a deeply divided political elite at home. Yet Taiwanese society is more cohesive than often assumed. In his recent book (published in French), J.P. Cabestan argues that despite competing historical narratives, there is a broad consensus on one point: the desire to shape Taiwan’s own future. With a dynamic economy, a vibrant cultural landscape, and a democratic system, Taiwan has the resources to remain autonomous—provided it manages its security challenges pragmatically, while maintaining close ties with the United States and Japan
Organization
Institute of Asian and Oriental Studies - Chinese Studies