Title
Major
Chinese
Second Major
Political Science
Minor(s)
Leadership Studies
Advisor
Xu, Ping
Advisor Department
Political Science
Date
12-2021
Keywords
Taiwan; China
Abstract
In American media, Taiwan has been referred to as the potential flashpoint for the next world war. Much quantitative research has been done regarding political views and predictions for Taiwan’s future. Based on previous studies, this essay seeks to build more knowledge on public perceptions of the Taiwan independence conflict among individuals on either side of the Taiwan Strait through interview-based research methods. To do this, I interviewed five individuals born in mainland China and five individuals born in Taiwan to compare how they view issues surrounding the China- Taiwan relationship and Taiwan's political status. My central research question looks at
the differences between what individuals on opposite sides of the Taiwan Strait think about Taiwan’s political status through the lens of Taiwan’s history and the participants’ educational and personal background on China-Taiwan relations. This essay will be broken down into four main sections. First, Taiwan’s history, development, and the purpose of this research will be clarified. Next, existing public opinion data will be examined and evaluated. After that, both China’s recent escalations and the United States’ stake in the two sides will be considered. The final section will discuss the structure and results of my interviews.