Speaker: Thung-Hong Lin, Research Fellow, Institute of Sociology, Academia Sinica, Taiwan.

How can a small democracy resist the influence of a powerful authoritarian neighbor? Taiwan is often praised for its successful economic development and peaceful democratic transition, yet it faces substantial challenges from both internal political divisions and external geopolitical pressures. Taiwan’s political landscape is shaped by several major cleavages, including national identity, economic inequality and class conflict, and generational and cultural differences. The greatest challenge to Taiwan’s democracy comes from China, which has sought to exploit these cleavages through economic leverage, propaganda, and political interference. Under the pressure of Beijing’s sharp power, Taiwan’s democracy has repeatedly faced threats of regression. Yet each time these pressures escalate, Taiwan’s civil society has mobilized in response, playing a crucial role in defending democratic institutions. Drawing on case studies such as the 2014 Sunflower Movement, the 2019 wave of solidarity with Hong Kong protests, and recent civic mobilizations in 2024, this talk highlights how Taiwan’s vibrant civil society has become a key source of democratic resilience.

The talk is based on Lin’s forthcoming book, Stormy Seas: Taiwan Under the Shadow of China in the 21st Century (Stanford University Press, forthcoming September 2026), which situates Taiwan’s democratic resilience within the broader trajectory of U.S.–China relations and global geopolitics over the past half century.

Thung-Hong Lin is a Research Fellow at the Institute of Sociology, Academia Sinica, Taiwan. He studies inequality, political economy, disasters, and Taiwan’s democracy, and was a 2023–24 Stanford–Taiwan Social Science Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) and a Fulbright Fellow.