There is more to Taiwan's Identity than its Relationship with China

Annabel Simpson | Indo-Pacific Fellow

Image sourced from Jimmy Liao via Pexels

In recent years, people have come to associate Taiwan with one of two things: bubble tea and military tensions. For years, media coverage has focused on the Taiwan Strait as a military flashpoint and the threats to Taiwan’s de facto sovereignty. Yet there is more to Taiwan than its relationship with China. A unique Taiwanese identity has existed for decades. This identity is grounded in Taiwan’s history of extensive colonialism, authoritarianism and the population’s long battle for democratisation. Today, expressions of this identity take a multitude of forms in a vast range of spheres from politics to culture and everything in between.

Political Spheres

Taiwanese political parties are often separated into two groups: the pan-green camp, which includes the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), and the pan-blue camp, which includes parties such as the Kuomintang (KMT). Although this division is often presented as a debate over Taiwan’s future, it fails to capture how Taiwanese identity has evolved to reflect broader social changes since democratisation and the continued impact of Taiwanisation policies first introduced under the Lee Teng-hui administration (1988-2000).

However, this party distinction does not tell the whole story. Over the past 15 years, the percentage of Taiwan’s population identifying as solely Chinese has remained around 3 per cent while the proportion identifying solely as Taiwanese has risen from 52 per cent to 63 per cent. A recent survey conducted by Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) found that 87 per cent of Taiwanese disagree with “One Country Two Systems” and “Peaceful Unification”. These surveys suggest that some Taiwanese may identify as Chinese while opposing unification, a point broadly consistent with the KMT’s interpretation of Chinese identity under the Republic of China constitution.

This sense of a unique Taiwanese identity has also been explored in research examining how Taiwanese institutions interact with their foreign counterparts in the face of Taiwan’s lack of international recognition. One example is Taiwan’s police who have been excluded from INTERPOL since China joined in 1984. Pressure from China has led to Taiwan’s continued exclusion from such institutions with the aim of further isolating Taiwan diplomatically. A side effect of this exclusion is that Taiwanese police report a stronger sense of sovereignty and recognition when cooperating with foreign counterparts, as such cooperation acknowledges Taiwanese authorities despite Taiwan’s exclusion from international organisations. This highlights how identity can be expressed through seemingly mundane actions.

Popular Culture

While sovereignty is often discussed through politics, national identity is equally reflected in popular culture, where identity holds a key place in cultural exports such as novels and films.

In May 2026, Taiwan Travelogue won the 2026 International Booker Prize and was the first Mandarin-language book to do so. Through the novel’s focus on Japanese colonial-era Taiwan, this story introduces international readers to Taiwan’s history and identity without constant references and comparisons with China, allowing the author to present Taiwan on her own terms.

Taiwanese cinema has helped explore what it means to be Taiwanese while introducing the country to international audiences. In addition to classic films such as Hou Hsiao-hsien's A City of Sadness, more recent films inspired by true stories such as Your Name Engraved Here In have gained international success while telling a story rooted in Taiwan's authoritarian history. These narratives bring key historical events to life while showing how directors see their impacts on Taiwanese society and identity.

The incorporation of folklore has also led to the creation of a Taiwan-horror subgenre. Not only have these films dominated the domestic box office with films such as Detention winning some of Taiwan's most prestigious cinema awards, but others also such as Marry My Dead Body—a horror-comedy released in 2022—have found international success. Marry My Dead Body was ranked in Netflix’s Global Top 10 just five days after its release and its success led to the development of a spin-off series released in 2024. The horror genre has long been a means for political critique with films often reflecting societal fears of their time. Some scholars link the genre’s success to Taiwan’s ongoing search for identity, arguing that horror’s emotional storytelling provides a powerful medium for exploring questions of history and belonging.

Identity is never fixed, it is ever-changing. Rooted in lived experience and history, it is not surprising that Taiwan, as a relatively new democracy, is still grappling with what it means to be Taiwanese. Consequently, identity remains a defining feature of both Taiwanese politics and cultural expression, serving as a reminder that there is more to Taiwan than its relationship with China. Whether expressed at the ballot box or on the big screen, identity continues to define how Taiwan views itself and its place on the global stage.

Annabel Simpson has a master’s in Taiwan Studies from SOAS, University of London, and a bachelor’s in Applied Foreign Languages from Aix Marseille University. After completing her master’s, Annabel studied mandarin at National Sun Yat-sen University in Kaohsiung. Her main research interests include Taiwan’s debated statehood, transnational crime and human rights. Some of her past research has been published in Taiwan Insight and Global Taiwan Brief.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Young Australians in International Affairs. No AI tools or plagiarism have been used in the preparation of this article.