The history of Taiwan, an island-state lying less than 100 miles off the coast of China whose world-class economy and geopolitical position in Asia give it an importance that goes far beyond what a population of only 22.5 million would suggest, is little explored or understood in the West. This important book is the most integrated, comprehensive, and accessible history of Taiwan available.

The contributors, distinguished leading experts from three continents, guide the reader through Taiwan's colorful history, from Neolithic times to the present. Each chapter, especially commissioned for this book, stands alone as a scholarly contribution. Collectively, the chapters bring the reader from the geographical and climatological context, through the stages of pre-modern history and the coming of the Chinese and the West, through the Japanese occupation, to a modern polity that has just experienced democratic elections and troubling military threats from its powerful neighbor, China. The general reader, the student, and Asian-Americans who trace their roots back to Taiwan or to China through Taiwan will find this book invaluable.

The history of Taiwan, an island-state lying less than 100 miles off the coast of China whose world-class economy and geopolitical position in Asia give it an importance that goes far beyond what a population of only 22.5 million would suggest, is little explored or understood in the West. This important book is the most integrated, comprehensive, and accessible history of Taiwan available.

The contributors, distinguished leading experts from three continents, guide the reader through Taiwan's colorful history, from Neolithic times to the present. Each chapter, especially commissioned for this book, stands alone as a scholarly contribution. Collectively, the chapters bring the reader from the geographical and climatological context, through the stages of pre-modern history and the coming of the Chinese and the West, through the Japanese occupation, to a modern polity that has just experienced democratic elections and troubling military threats from its powerful neighbor, China. The general reader, the student, and Asian-Americans who trace their roots back to Taiwan or to China through Taiwan will find this book invaluable.

Examining the flow of technical knowledge between the US, Taiwan and Mainland China over the last sixty-five years, this book shows that the technical knowledge that has moved between these states is vast and varied. It includes the invention and production of industrial goods, as well as knowledge of the patterns of corporate organization and management. Indeed, this diversity is reflected in the process itself, which is driven both by returning expatriates with knowledge acquired overseas and by successful government intervention in acquiring technology from multinational firms. Technology Transfer Between the US, China and Taiwan engages with the evolving debates on the merits, importance and feasibility of technology transfer in the process of economic development globally, and uses the example of Taiwan to show that multinational corporations can indeed play a positive role in economic development. Further, it reveals the underlying tension between international cooperation and nationalism which inevitably accompanies international exchanges, as well as the delicate balancing act required between knowledge acquisition and dangerous levels of dependency, and the beneficial role of the US in East Asia's technological development. With contributors from disciplines ranging from history, geography, urban planning, sociology, political science and electrical engineering, this multi-disciplinary book will be of great interest to students and scholars working across a broad range of subjects including Taiwan studies, Chinese studies, economics, business studies and development studies.

Examining the flow of technical knowledge between the US, Taiwan and Mainland China over the last sixty-five years, this book shows that the technical knowledge that has moved between these states is vast and varied. It includes the invention and production of industrial goods, as well as knowledge of the patterns of corporate organization and management. Indeed, this diversity is reflected in the process itself, which is driven both by returning expatriates with knowledge acquired overseas and by successful government intervention in acquiring technology from multinational firms. Technology Transfer Between the US, China and Taiwan engages with the evolving debates on the merits, importance and feasibility of technology transfer in the process of economic development globally, and uses the example of Taiwan to show that multinational corporations can indeed play a positive role in economic development. Further, it reveals the underlying tension between international cooperation and nationalism which inevitably accompanies international exchanges, as well as the delicate balancing act required between knowledge acquisition and dangerous levels of dependency, and the beneficial role of the US in East Asia's technological development. With contributors from disciplines ranging from history, geography, urban planning, sociology, political science and electrical engineering, this multi-disciplinary book will be of great interest to students and scholars working across a broad range of subjects including Taiwan studies, Chinese studies, economics, business studies and development studies.

The history of Taiwan, an island-state lying less than 100 miles off the coast of China whose world-class economy and geopolitical position in Asia give it an importance that goes far beyond what a population of only 22.5 million would suggest, is little explored or understood in the West. This important book is the most integrated, comprehensive, and accessible history of Taiwan available.

The contributors, distinguished leading experts from three continents, guide the reader through Taiwan's colorful history, from Neolithic times to the present. Each chapter, especially commissioned for this book, stands alone as a scholarly contribution. Collectively, the chapters bring the reader from the geographical and climatological context, through the stages of pre-modern history and the coming of the Chinese and the West, through the Japanese occupation, to a modern polity that has just experienced democratic elections and troubling military threats from its powerful neighbor, China. The general reader, the student, and Asian-Americans who trace their roots back to Taiwan or to China through Taiwan will find this book invaluable.

Examines the effects of the socio-economic post-war transformation on Taiwan's political system, environment, religious structures, the relationships between the sexes and the different ethnic populations. A complex revisionist portrait of the country emerges.

Examines the effects of the socio-economic post-war transformation on Taiwan's political system, environment, religious structures, the relationships between the sexes and the different ethnic populations. A complex revisionist portrait of the country emerges.

Taiwan's rapid socio-economic and political transformation has given rise to a gender-conscious middle class that is attempting to redefine the roles of women in society, to restructure relationship patterns, and to organize in groups outside the family unit. This book examines internal psychological processes and external societal processes as the feminist movement in Taiwan expands and new gender roles are explored. The contributors represent a cross section of different disciplines - history, anthropology, and sociology - and different generations of China/Taiwan scholars. They place the issues facing Taiwan's women's movement in social, political, and economic contexts. The book examines gender relations, the role of women in Chinese society, and issues related to women in China throughout history. Feminism and gender relations are also viewed from the context of film and literature. The authors look at the contemporary roles that women play in Taiwan's work force today, how the sexes perceive each other in the workplace, and more.

Li Ang (1952-) is a famous and prolific feminist writer from Taiwan who challenges and subverts sociocultural traditions through her daring explorations of sex, violence, women's bodies and desire, and national politics. As a taboo-breaking writer and social critic, she uses fiction to expose injustice and represent human nature. Her political engagement further affords her a visionary perspective for interrogating the problematic intersection of gender and politics. The ambivalence in her fictional representations invites controversies and debates. Her works have thus helped raise awareness of the problems, open up discussions, and bring about social and intellectual changes. Some of her works have been translated into such foreign languages as English, French, German, and Japanese. In her career spanning over forty years, she has won numerous literary awards. Li Ang's Visionary Challenges to Gender, Sex, and Politics is the first collection of critical essays in English on Li Ang and some of her most celebrated works. Contributing historians examine her vital roles in the Taiwanese women's movement and political arenas, as well as the social influence of her publications on extramarital affairs. Contributing literary scholars investigate the feminist controversy over her 1983 award-winning novel, Shafu (Killing the Husband; translated as The Butcher's Wife); offer alternative interpretative strategies such as looking into figurations of "biopower" and relationship dynamics; dissect the subtle political significance in her magnificent novel Miyuan (The labyrinthine garden; 1991) and explosive political fiction, Beigang xianglu renren cha (Everyone sticks incense into the Beigang censer; 1997) from the perspective of gender and national identity; scrutinize the multiple discursive levels in her superb novel Qishi yinyuan zhi Taiwan/Zhongguo qingren (Seven prelives of affective affinity: Taiwan/China lovers; 2009); and analyze the "(dis)embodied subversion" accomplished by her fantastic Kandejian de gui (Visible ghosts; 2004). As the first volume in English to examine Li Ang's trail-blazing discourse on gender, sex, and politics, this work will inspire more studies of her oeuvre and contribute usefully to the fields of modern Taiwanese and Chinese literature, feminist studies, and comparative literature.