Taiwan`s Paradoxical Perceptions of the Chinese Military: More Capable but Less Threatening?

Abstract

Against the backdrop of China`s thriving economic development since the 1980s, the rapid modernisation of the People`s Liberation Army has always been Taiwan`s top national security concern. This article argues that, despite the military threat posed by the Chinese military to Taiwan, China`s changing policy toward the island, combined with the US determination to remain the leading power in the Asia- Pacific region, and the realisation of the complexity of Taiwan politics by the Chinese leadership, have led Taiwanese analysts to perceive the likelihood of conflict as decreasing. This constitutes a major perceptual contrast between long-term threat and short-term stability in cross-Strait relations. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]