Taiwan

Liou describes the controversies surrounding ‘Understanding Taiwan’, which had a far-reaching impact on the subsequent development of Taiwanese history textbooks, and examines, within the national context, the complex relationship between history textbooks and the construction of national identity. The publication in 1997 of ‘Understanding Taiwan’ gave rise to substantial controversy. While critics accused the book of a pro-Japanese bias, proponents argued that confusion between national and cultural identity prevented objective appraisals of the past. After the introduction of the book with minor revisions, debates continued, ultimately culminating in the government’s 2016 decision that pupils would have the right to participate in curricula design. In Taiwan, a country caught between both Japanese and Chinese influence, consensus over historical and national identities is an ongoing process.