Battle for Taiwan's Identity: How Democratic Taiwan Breaks Through China's Coercion | Talks EP943

Taiwan’s identity is becoming increasingly visible on the world stage, even as Beijing steps up efforts to restrict how the island is represented abroad. From a Chinese consulate’s reported attempt to cancel Taiwanese author Yang Shuang-zi’s book talk in Munich to disputes over UN Resolution 2758 and the difference between foreign governments’ “One-China policies” and Beijing’s “One-China principle,” culture and diplomacy are becoming new fronts in the cross-strait contest. At home, Taiwan’s identity is also evolving, with polling showing a clear majority identifying as Taiwanese only, even as a significant minority still identify as both Taiwanese and Chinese. What does Taiwanese identity mean today, and how closely is it tied to democracy, culture and the Republic of China? In this episode, we examine Beijing’s efforts to squeeze Taiwan’s international space, the growing visibility of Taiwanese voices abroad and how a new generation is defining what it means to be Taiwanese. *Recorded on October 8, 2026 at 2pm Taiwan Standard Time Host: Wen-Ti Sung Producer: Suvam Pal Videographer: Damon Lin Our guests: James Lee - Academia Sinica Institute of European and American Studies Assistant Research Fellow Simona Grano - University of Zurich China-Taiwan Relations Research Head and Taiwan Studies Project Director Chapters: 00:00:00 – Taiwanese Identity Rising 00:02:02 – Beijing Targets Booker Prize Winners 00:07:56 – Taiwan Calls Out Beijing’s Distortions 00:17:13 – What Is Taiwanese Identity Today? #Taiwan #TaiwaneseIdentity #China #Beijing #TaiwanIdentity #TaiwaneseIdentityRising #NationalIdentity #CulturalIdentity #TaiwaneseCulture #TaiwanCulture #TaiwanSociety #TaiwaneseAuthors #TaiwaneseLiterature #BookerPrize #BookerPrizeWinners #Literature #Writers #CulturalIdentity #CulturalSovereignty #TaiwanCulture #TaiwanMinistryOfCulture #TaiwanGovernment #TaiwanDiplomacy #CrossStraitRelations #CrossStraitTensions #CrossStraitPolitics #ChinaTaiwan #TaiwanChina #ChinaPressure #BeijingPressure #PoliticalPressure #PoliticalDistortions #ChinaCoercion #TaiwanPolitics #TaiwanIdentityPolitics #TaiwanDemocracy #DemocracyInTaiwan #TaiwanSecurity #TaiwanStrait #TaiwanStraitTensions #SoftPower #CulturalDiplomacy #PoliticalNarrative #HistoricalNarrative #ChineseInfluence #ChinaInfluence #IndoPacific #Geopolitics #ForeignPolicy #IdentityPolitics #TaiwanPlus #TaiwanTalks