Report by Julia G. Bentley
In Canada, as in many other countries, we need to prepare ourselves more robustly to manage our relationship with China, both bilaterally and multilaterally, in order to address effectively the many global issues on which China has significant influence. Gaining a sophisticated understanding of the Sinosphere and cultivating China competencies among academics and analysts in the public, private and non-profit sectors will help us to do so.
China competencies can be developed in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and in Taiwan. Under current geopolitical conditions, some international Sinosphere specialists are hesitant to pursue China Studies in the PRC, in light of restrictions on research access and security considerations. Adaptability is called for in reimagining China Studies and encouraging continued engagement in the Sinosphere.
Taiwan has much to offer in terms of engaging with the Sinosphere and training the next generation of international China specialists, with teaching programs and research centres providing training to develop language proficiency, serious scholarship in China studies, and policy-relevant competencies. It also offers an opportunity to engage with regional academic and policy networks that offer a fresh, non-Western perspective on the Sinosphere, cross-Strait relations and regional dynamics. We should tap Taiwan’s expertise through visits by scholars and analysts, teaching exchanges and focused conferences.
While the decline in cross-Strait engagement has weakened direct academic links between Taiwan and the PRC, Taiwan’s pool of expertise remains deep. Compared to shrinking opportunities in the PRC, Taiwan continues to offer a robust environment for alternative approaches to China Studies, especially for understanding geo-politics, geo-economics and security in regional and global contexts.
This research does not suggest that China experts in Taiwan are more objective than China experts elsewhere. It does suggest that astute international observers should use their own judgment to assess the quality of analysis by Taiwan experts and determine if the evidence supports the conclusions drawn.
Canada will benefit from having more people who understand what is going on in China, are proficient in Chinese and understand perspectives on the Sinosphere from both sides of the Taiwan Strait. There are many persuasive reasons to consider Taiwan as a springboard for this endeavour.
Read the report at this link (.pdf)
Appendix I | Inventory of Selected Academic Resources Relevant to Sinosphere Studies in Taiwan (.pdf)
Appendix II | Matrix of Canada-Taiwan university linkages (.xls)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Author Julia G. Bentley is an external research associate at York Centre for Asian Research (YCAR) at York University, senior fellow at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, a distinguished fellow at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and a non-resident fellow at the Centre for China Studies at National Taiwan University. Her pursuit of China Studies at universities in the USA, Canada, and China provided the foundation for her diplomatic career, serving in both Taiwan and China.