James Lin is a historian of Taiwan and assistant professor of history at the University of Washington.
Taiwan has been subject to the machinations of great powers for much of its history. A better international order would ensure that all nations, big and small, have an equal voice in the global arena.
During the Cold War, US officials saw Taiwan as an “unsinkable aircraft carrier” and supported Chiang Kai-Shek’s dictatorship. Modern-day Taiwan has developed a democratic culture that shouldn’t be subordinated to confrontation between Washington and Beijing.