| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立臺灣大學 === 政治學研究所 === 97 === Since the end of the Cold War, the development of international system has gradually shifted towards the Asia-Pacific region. The rise of China, the crisis in the Korean Peninsula, the re-definition of US-Japan alliance, the alignment of ASEAN Plus 3, the continuing global War on Terror, and globalization, all have emphasized security issues in the Asia-Pacific region. In the same time, Taiwan, located in the bridge between maritime and continental great powers, has been democratizing from an authoritarian system. The people of Taiwan have been through three presidents-- Lee Teng-hui, Chen Shui-bian and Ma Ying-jeou since the end of Cold War. This twenty- year long period of presidencies has been witness to the process of Taiwan’s economic development and democratization, and it has also been a crucial period for Taiwan to respond to the great shift of global situation in the post-Cold War era.
How has Taiwan, as one of the examples of ‘ The Third Wave of Democratization’, met this international change? How have its popularly elected national leaders managed the decisions of Asia-Pacific strategies of Taiwan? Democratization and the end of the Cold War, as the longitude and latitude to understand the Asia-Pacific strategy of Taiwan in the past twenty years, are co-related and cannot be left without each other. Eyeing from democratization, one cannot ignore the background of the post-Cold War era; judging from the ending of the Cold War, one cannot abbreviate the factor of democratization. Particularly the two features brought about by democratization—‘de-Cold-War-ization’ and ‘de-civil-war-ization’—have been influencing the direction of Taiwan’s national security strategy.
As a matter of fact, a sustainable democratized Taiwan, and a stable situation in the Taiwan Strait, is not only consistent with the ideology and global strategic demand of the US, but also the cornerstone of ensuring regional security in the Asia-Pacific. Viewing the current complicated strategic environment in East Asia, this paper first summarizes the factors affecting regional security in the Asia-Pacific. Secondly, from the angle of democratization, this paper discusses the evolution of Taiwan’s Asia-Pacific strategy in the post-Cold War era, and the thought process behind decision-making and strategic planning by different leaders. Finally, this paper analyzes possible strategic choices for Taiwan to maintain its surviv in the shifting international strategic environment.
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