走出「沒有關係」的兩岸關係研究：探索一個新的兩岸比較研究範式？

Beyond Cross-Strait Relations without Relations: A New Research Paradigm for Cross-Strait Studies?

在中國研究沒有中國、兩岸關係研究沒有關係的時代，還有必要學習、教授與研究兩岸關係嗎？從建構主義的觀點來說，「兩岸比較研究」是一個被嚴重忽視的兩岸關係研究範式，可以幫助補足現有兩岸研究過份注重大國角力與權力不對稱的問題。根據建構主義關心非正式互動的視角，本文主張可以特別關注網絡與規範兩種因果機制，因為這兩種機制的分析不受限於所關注案例的大小，可以讓研究者更有信心地回答為何有差異巨大的台灣與大陸可以比較的問題，同時網絡與規範的觀點補足原本兩岸研究理論中缺乏對政治性、跨國性、與價值面向分析的缺憾。這些對Nye軟實力理論的精緻化可以改善目前兩岸研究文獻中偏向決定主義與愛好特殊規律的問題，也可以超越「價值觀聯盟」對上「權力不對稱」就失聲的困境，對於提升兩岸研究的有效性將有很大的助益。

In an era when access to China is increasingly restricted and Cross-Strait relations continue to deteriorate, the relevance of studying, teaching, and researching Cross-Strait relations may be called into question. Yet, from a constructivist perspective, comparative analysis between Taiwan and China remains a valuable and underexplored avenue. Such comparisons can address limitations in dominant paradigms that overemphasize great power politics and power asymmetry.
This article draws on constructivism’s focus on informal interactions to advocate for an alternative approach centered on network-based and norm-based causal mechanisms. By emphasizing mechanisms rather than the intrinsic features of the actors involved, this framework allows scholars to transcend constraints of scale and to meaningfully compare Taiwan and China despite their significant differences.
Moreover, a constructivist lens foregrounds often-overlooked dimensions in Cross-Strait studies, such as polity, transnationality, and normative structures. This perspective helps refine Joseph Nye’s concept of soft power while also challenging deterministic and exceptionalist tendencies in the existing literature. Ultimately, it offers a path beyond the current impasse, where ''value-based alliances'' appear increasingly irrelevant amid asymmetric power relations. A constructivist-informed framework thus holds promise for enhancing both the analytical effectiveness and contemporary relevance of Cross- Strait research.