Stephen J. Hartnett is a professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Colorado Denver. He served as the 2017 president of the National Communication Association and is a founding member of the Global Forum for Civic Affairs. His new book is A World of Turmoil: The United States, China, and Taiwan in the Long Cold War.
In mainland China, fear of Taiwanese independence feeds the fever of traumatized nationalism, unites domestic rivals around a shared national dream, and serves as a never-ending threat that justifies enormous military expenditures — but not for war.
Now that Tsai Ing-wen has won a second term as Taiwan’s president, it’s time to expect results on one of her most important pledges: Delivering “transitional justice” to Taiwan's democracy.