The Transnational in Taiwan History: A Preliminary Exploration

Transnational concerns the movement of peoples, ideas, technologies and institutions across national boundaries. In view of this, Taiwan provides a rich “laboratory” for the study of transnational connections and comparisons. A comprehensive discussion of Transnational Taiwan cannot do without its historical component. I am interested in knowing the extent to which this approach has the potential to develop new understandings of the past by highlighting historical processes and relationships that transcend nation states and connect apparently separate worlds. The very geographical position of Taiwan Island puts it at the crossroads of maritime, cross-cultural, and interactional connections in the wake of the age of discovery. I start with a brief definition of the terminology, followed by a discussion that situates the transnational emergence in Taiwanese historiography. Special attention will be paid to the several discourses that have developed over the past five decades. The essay will conclude with some suggestions how transnational approaches to Taiwan history are promising in the context of the ever changing geopolitical situation present day.