Language, Politics and Identity in Taiwan ― Naming China

This unique book traces the intertwined trajectories of five sets of names Taiwan has used to designate China since the Chinese Nationalist Party came to Taiwan in 1949. These have evolved from the derogatory “communist bandits” (gongfe, ??); to the ideologically focused “Chinese Communists” (zhonggong, ??); to the seemingly neutral geographical designators “the Mainland” (dalu, ??) and "the opposite shore/both shores" (duian, ??/liangan, ??1); to the ethnic and national label “China” (zhongguo,
??); and to the official designation, "People's Republic of China" (zhonghuarenmingongheguo,???????). As political metaphors grounded in unique historical circumstances, each name drives and is sustained by narratives that register undercurrents of power and ideological struggle.

Through textual analyses of historical archives and other mediated texts and artifacts, the book unfolds Taiwan’s identity negotiation during the past half century and critically evaluates the interconnection between language and politics.

Hui Ching Chang is Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies and Associate Dean for the Honors College at the University of Illinois at Chicago, USA.

Richard Holt is Professor of Communication Studies at the Northern Illinois University, USA.