Taiwanstudien und -forschung in Deutschland

Abstract

This article examines Taiwan studies and research in Germany from a historical perspective, while simultaneously taking into account the current situation too. The first question asked is how these issues can be explained without falling into the trap of locating the current understanding of Taiwan back in the past, this being an error that occurs far too often in presentations from both the Western and the Taiwanese points of view. Taking into account the fact that Taiwan, or the Republic of China on Taiwan, is a de facto independent state that is not recognized internationally as a result of the dominance of the “One-China Policy,” this paper points out that a not insignificant part of today’s Taiwan research — especially in the political or general social sciences — is concerned with the unique situation of the island-state, and that this includes research on the special relationship between Taiwan and China. The main focus is on the period after the 1990s, because since that time Taiwan has become an interesting research subject. Taiwan’s relationship with China is a matter of hot dispute, with some voices claiming that research on the island-state should move away from a Chinese perspective — while others regard Taiwan as a model that offers an interesting alternative to developments in the People’s Republic of China.