Chung, Chih-tung
(2012)
The evolution of Taiwan’s grand strategy: from Chiang Kai-shek to Chen Shui-bian.
PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.
Abstract
The thesis explores the concept of grand strategy and applies it to the development of
Taiwan’s grand strategy between 1949 and 2008, from Presidents Chiang Kai-shek,
Chiang Ching-kuo and Lee Teng-hui to Chen Shui-bian. The thesis first examines the
debates between the ‘classical’ war-centred and ‘neo-classical’ peace-centred
perspectives in the realm of strategic studies and argues that these need not be
mutually exclusive, but can in fact supplement one another. The thesis then adopts a
stance of theoretical pluralism, whereby grand strategy is regarded as a process of
power practice across periods of war and peace; it defines grand strategy as a
cognitive state agent taking action to create and manipulate power in furthering its
desired ends in a dynamic international society. This convergent perspective of grand
strategy is designed to embrace these two schools of thought, since it is equally
important for those who seek a better understanding of grand strategy in general and
the evolution of Taiwan’s grand strategy in particular to focus both on how best to
wage war and how best to preserve peace.
To make sense of and to apply the concept of grand strategy, as an operational term,
this thesis proposes four strategic analytical dimensions, namely, capability, choice,
environment and posture, which are informed by the duality of four analytical pairs:
ideational and material factors, ends and means, agency and structure, and defence
and offence. Building upon this strategic analytical framework, the thesis moves to
explore the perspective of leadership in Taipei against the backdrop of the politicalmilitary confrontation between the ROC on Taiwan and the PRC. The thesis
investigates how and how far Taiwan’s grand strategy had been conditioned and
developed by the influence of the Taipei-Beijing competition for sovereignty, changes
in the international context, the unique strategic perspective of the successive
presidents, domestic political developments and the asymmetry of national power
between Taiwan and China. Through its investigation, the thesis argues that Taiwan’s
grand strategy over the past six decades has been fundamentally driven by one prime
factor: to secure the perspective of the ROC’s sovereign status as understood by
Taipei’s leaders, not only across the Strait but also in international society.
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