Asian Studies: "Taiwan’s Election, Cross-Strait Relations, and Taiwan’s Role in East Asia" (Conference)

After years of tension and uncertainty in the Taiwan Strait area, cross-Strait relations have been remarkably stable in recent years. But the politics of both the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan are always changing, and it is uncertain if this stability will hold. This symposium will look at the November 29 municipal elections and what they suggest about trends in Taiwan. What are the regional and global implications of these trends? Can China and Taiwan maintain a stable and productive relationship? This symposium will take place over two days: December 1-2, 2014 December 1: “The November 29 Elections” Speakers: John Hsieh, Professor, Department of Political Science, University of South Carolina “The November 29th Elections: Who Won?” Tung Chen-yuan, Distinguished Professor at the Graduate Institute of Development Studies, National Chengchi University “Asia-Pacific Economic Integration and Cross-Strait Economic Relations.” Shelley Rigger, Brown Professor and Chair, Davidson College “Political Trends in Taiwan: Identity, the Sunflower Movement, and Cross-Strait Relations” Andrew Yang, Assistant Professor, Sun Yat-sen University and former Minister of Defense, Republic of China “Political Trends in Taiwan: Implications for National Defense”