Taiwan’s Soft Power and the Future of Cross-Strait Relations: Can the Tail Wag the Dog?

Abstract

The dynamics of cross-Strait relations present an extremely interesting case for the study of soft power. In terms of the distribution of hard power—that is, coercive force and economic strength—Taiwan has suffered from an increasingly unfavorable asymmetric relationship with mainland China (the People’s Republic of China, or PRC), with China enjoying an overwhelming advantage that only grows stronger with each passing day. But just as China’s hard power to cajole Taiwan to move in its favored direction by coercion and economic inducement has risen rapidly over the last two decades, Beijing’s policy toward Taiwan has paradoxically become more accommodating.