Though Chinese pressure and internal political dynamics have long hindered the development of Japan-Taiwan relations, the two nations have nevertheless been able to build a promising foundation.
The debate over whether visits to China are truly an “exchange” or “United Front activities” may remain unsolvable, but regardless of political stance or ideology, the consensus among all participants seems to be the high-level hospitality provided by Chinese United Front groups.
More Taiwanese students are going on “exchange” trips to visit China for fun, but are subjected to political messages throughout the trip.
The Philippines and Taiwan have expanded their informal relations, but Chinese pressure will necessitate coordination between Manila and Taipei.
China offers student exchange programs as a part of its United Front to influence Taiwanese society at all levels. These budget-friendly travel packages are hard to resist.
Ever since the Sunflower Movement, Beijing has made winning favor from Taiwanese youths whose identities are in flux a priority, attempting to attract them across the strait for “integration and development.” However, a decade of observation shows only limited effectiveness of this approach.