What is called the “China factor” in Taiwan strews a global anxiety. It is particularly hot in the margins of the new empire as can be seen in the mobilization of Taiwanese students against the buyout of Apple Daily by media “monster” Want Want China Times, the recent protests in Canton to encourage the journalists of Southern Weekly, last autumn demonstrations in Hong Kong against the promotion of Chinese patriotism at school. While the Taiwanese economy was supposed to benefit from free-trade agreement with China, the population of the island seems more and more concerned how to face China’s hegemony. Wu Jieh-Min has observed the Chinese society for almost twenty years. His last opus 第三種中國想像 (A Third View of China, Taipei, Rive Gauche Publishing 左岸文化 2012/11) has already nourished passionate debates in Taiwan. The author introduces the complex reality of China today from a Taiwanese point of view but getting rid of pan-blue or pan-green’ fantasies. He thus proposes another way of thinking the independence/reunification issue.
The seminar will be held in English. The session will be chaired by Dr Paul JOBIN, Director of CEFC Taipei At Academia Sinica, RCHSS 人社中心 (No 31 on the Map) Room B202