The Dust That Never Settles : The Taiwan Independence Campaign

The Dust That Never Settles provides a historical review of the Taiwan independence movement in the framework of the economic, social, and cultural relations between the United States and China. Mei-ling T. Wang provides a detailed account of the movement, beginning in 1624 with the Dutch rule of Taiwan, through 1997. He emphasizes the complexity of the relationship between the United States and China, and he recognizes that the most intriguing aspect of the relations between them is the issue of the independence of Taiwan. Wang analyzes historical events of the past 300 years in order to provide insight into the nature of the development of the situation that plagues U.S. foreign policy, using political economy and cross-cultural discourse in the framework of eighteenth century imperialism, the Cold War, and superpower politics. This knowledge will allow foreign policy practitioners to understand the problems of the United States-China relationship and lead to more effective solutions.