With greater frequency, China is using its growing air and sea power to try to intimidate Taiwan, the self-ruled island that it hopes to annex. China has also weaponized its economic prowess to induce foreign companies and even governments to erase Taiwan’s international presence.
But in Taiwan itself, there has been increasing blowback.
A vocal segment of Taiwan’s population of 23 million is trying to push back against Beijing with a potent weapon that China’s arsenal of influence lacks: democracy and the power of popular referendums.
China’s pressure campaign appears to have hardened Taiwanese resolve against the Chinese Communist Party, while fueling resentment toward the awkward Cold War labels Taiwan operates under in the international sphere. As a result, many Taiwanese are hoping to take control of their identity, and their fate, through the ballot box, despite the threat of attack from China that hangs over such moves.
A referendum next month asks whether Taiwan should compete at international sporting events under that name, rather than “Chinese Taipei.” Activists are also seeking to change the law to allow for a referendum on national sovereignty.
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