Taiwan’s Maturing Democracy
On May 14, the Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies (CNAPS) at Brookings and the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law (CDDRL) at Stanford University hosted a seminar analyzing progress and challenges in the consolidation of Taiwan’s democratization and reforms. While the presidential and legislative elections held on January 14 were interpreted by many as proof that Taiwan’s democratic system—including its government and society—has matured since the first transition of political power in 2000, both big-picture and day-to-day challenges to effective democratic governance remain.
The seminar featured leading practitioners and political scientists from Taiwan and the United States. Panelists examined reforms that have been enacted in Taiwan over the past decade, and analyzed their impact on the functions of government agencies, political parties, and other non-governmental organizations. They also discussed how reform and consolidation are affecting policy and public perception of the system.
After each panel, speakers took audience questions.
Agenda
1:45 PM -- Panel 3: Implications of Democratic Consolidation
Alan D. Romberg
Distinguished Fellow and Director, East Asia Program, The Henry L. Stimson Center
Ho Szu-yin
Professor, Department of Political Science - National Chengchi University
Richard C. Bush
Nonresident Senior Fellow - Foreign Policy, Center for East Asia Policy Studies, John L. Thornton China Center
Moderator: Larry Diamond
Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution
11:00 AM -- Panel 2: Politics and Society
John Fuh-sheng Hsieh
Professor, Department of Political Science - University of South Carolina
Shelley Rigger
Brown Professor and Assistant Dean for Educational Policy - Political Science Department, Davidson College
Erich Che-wei Shih
News Anchor and Show Host - CTi Television
Eric Chen-hua Yu
Assistant Professor of Political Science - National Chengchi University
9:00 AM -- Panel 1: Government
David G. Brown
Visiting Scholar in China Studies, Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies - Johns Hopkins University
Da-Chi Liao
Professor of Political Science - National Sun Yat-sen University
Jiunn-rong Yeh
Professor, College of Law - National Taiwan University
Nigel N.T. Li
Adjunct Professor, Graduate School of Law, Soochow University
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[Suggesting that trilateral meetings between China, South Korea, and Japan be revived] is a way to say this is not zero sum and this is not an anti-China development. It’s smart diplomacy to be saying this.