台商社群的「關係敏感帶」與「象徵行動群聚」

The "Guanxi-Sensitive Zone" and "Symbolic Clustering" of Taiwanese Business Communities in China

The volatility inherent in cross-Strait relations has provided a niche for China studies in Taiwan. While previous scholarship has focused primarily on major political issues and has yielded important findings, the author is calling for a ''social turn'' in view of the significance of cross-Strait societal and cultural change on the long-term relationships of both sides. This research note thus asks several questions regarding the behavioral patterns of Taiwanese business communities in China: How do they overcome the problems of policy uncertainty and the lack of institutional transparency? What role do the Taiwanese business associations (TBAs) play in connection with the various levels of Chinese government? In particular, why do the TBAs make such great efforts to engage in seemingly trivial activities from a symbolic and ritual point of view? In accordance with recent field research, the author tentatively uses several analytical tools, such as the ''public/hidden transcript,'' ''guanxi-sensitive zone,'' ''symbolic clustering'' and ''symbolic rhetoric,'' to approach these puzzles.