The Struggle for Taiwan: A History of America, China, and the Island Caught Between

by Sulmaan Wasif Khan Narrated by Austin Yang

Overview

A concise, definitive history of the precarious relationship among the US, China, and Taiwan

As tensions over Taiwan escalate, the United States and China stand on the brink of a catastrophic war. Resolving the impasse demands we understand how it began. In 1943, the Allies declared that Japanese-held Taiwan would return to China at the conclusion of World War II. The Chinese civil war led to a change of plans. The Communist Party came to power in China and the defeated Nationalist leader, Chiang Kai-shek, fled to Taiwan, where he was afforded US protection. The specter of conflict has loomed ever since.*

In The Struggle for Taiwan, Sulmaan Wasif Khan offers the first comprehensive history of the triangular relationship between the United States, China, and Taiwan, exploring America's ambivalent commitment to Taiwan's defense, China's bitterness about the separation, and Taiwan's impressive transformation into a flourishing democracy. War is not inevitable, Khan shows, but to avoid it, decision-makers must heed the lessons of the past.*

From the White Terror to the Taiwan Straits Crises, from the normalization of Sino-American relations to Trump-era rising tensions, The Struggle for Taiwan charts the paths to our present predicament to show what futures might be possible.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

A deeply researched and fascinating history.”—Guardian

“A thorough history of the China-Taiwan conflict and the United States’ role in it… Highly recommended.”—Library Journal (starred review)

“Khan recounts Taiwan’s story in a way that shows the importance of understanding the context of the conflict.”—Kirkus

In its depth of research, command of the field, and assured, fast-moving pace, The Struggle for Taiwan is an extraordinary book.”—Paul Kennedy, author of The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers

“At a moment of extreme tension between the US and its largest global competitor, Sulmaan Wasif Khan has once again produced a brilliant book about China. His superb descriptions of the fraught history of Taiwan capture the essential dilemma over its future, and his exquisite prose—worthy of a novelist—is a joy to read. If you want a single volume that crystalizes the tensions between the US, China, and Taiwan, here it is!”—Admiral James Stavridis, 16th supreme allied commander of NATO

“There can be few more urgent geopolitical issues than the fate of Taiwan, yet western readers still know far too little about how this Asian island became so contentious. There could be no better guide to the Taiwan question than Khan, who brings deep historical and political knowledge to a highly readable account of why Taiwan has become such a flashpoint—and what may happen next.”—Rana Mitter, author of China’s Good War

“Covering eight decades of Taiwan-US-China relations, the book meticulously details how Taiwan has navigated between Washington’s lack of strategic vision and Beijing’s rigid Taiwan policy. What emerges is that Taiwan’s trajectory is shaped not only by leaders in Taipei, Washington, and Beijing but increasingly by the democratic choices of the Taiwanese people. This beautifully written analysis is highly recommended for those who want to learn from history to understand the future.”—Syaru Shirley Lin, University of Virginia

Library Journal

★ 04/01/2024

Khan (history and international relations, Tufts Univ.; Haunted by Chaos: Grand Strategy from Mao Zedong to Xi Jinping) offers a thorough history of the China-Taiwan conflict and the United States' role in it. His book spans from 1943, when the Cairo Declaration first mentioned Taiwan being returned to the Republic of China (ROC) from Japan, up through the present day. In 1949, Mao Zedong's Communist forces defeated Chiang Kai-shek's ROC and established the People's Republic of China. Chiang and the remnants of the ROC retreated to the island of Taiwan. In the 1950s, the U.S. made the decision to prevent Mao from taking Taiwan and thus placed Taiwan under American protection. Since then, there has been a complex push and pull, in which successive U.S. administrations try to forge a good relationship with China without abandoning commitments made to Taiwan. This has ultimately resulted in a complicated U.S. position in which it no longer officially recognizes the ROC government in Taiwan but is also obligated by the Taiwan Relations Act to provide it with defensive weapons. VERDICT Highly recommended for anyone interested in China-Taiwan-U.S. relations.—Joshua Wallace

Kirkus Reviews

2024-01-04
An expert in Asian geopolitics delves into Taiwan’s past, finding critical clues to the turbulent present.

Taiwan is often in the headlines as a possible trigger for a catastrophic war between China and the U.S., but behind the noise is a complex history, according to Khan, a senior academic at Tufts and author of Muslim, Trader, Nomad, Spy. Khan is skeptical of the Chinese view that Taiwan is historically part of China, although Beijing has made the claim since the defeated Nationalists retreated to the island in 1949. The U.S. supported the autocratic government of Chiang Kai-shek, arguing that it was the legitimate government of China. This idea evaporated when Nixon went to China and Taiwan’s position became ambiguous. In fact, ambiguity has since been the defining aspect of Taiwan’s place in the world, with the island locked in a non-country limbo while growing into a dynamic economy and thriving democracy. The U.S. stance has varied with the prevailing winds in Washington, D.C., although the past few years have seen a more pro-Taiwan attitude. The Taiwanese population seems to be leaning toward independence while aware of the difficulties such a move would entail. Beijing regularly makes threats and provocations, seemingly unaware that its belligerence usually backfires. Khan suggests ways to reduce the tension but also discusses options for increasing the deterrence factor, and he emphasizes that the U.S. should determine what future it wants to see. At the same time, it should keep communication channels with China open, so minor tiffs do not spin out of control. Most of all, writes the author, policymakers should be aware of the history that has built the present—but on the issue of Taiwan, there are no easy answers.

Khan recounts Taiwan’s story in a way that shows the importance of understanding the context of the conflict.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940191402314
Publisher:	Hachette Audio
Publication date:	05/14/2024
Edition description:	Unabridged
Sales rank:	981,420

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