Skip to navigation – Site map

HomeIssues145Special featureIdeological Interests and US Supp...

Contents - Previous document
Special feature

Ideological Interests and US Support for Taiwan: A Structural Analysis of Hegemonic Competition

Jaw-Nian Huang
p. 41-51

Abstract

Through the lens of hegemonic competition, this article examines how the ideological dimensions of US interests have shaped its support for Taiwan from the Cold War to the New Cold War. A longitudinal case study and discourse analysis revealed that shifts in US competition with other major powers have shaped Taiwan’s ideological significance across different historical periods – from an anti-communist stronghold in the early Cold War and a model of capitalist modernisation in the late Cold War, to a beacon of democracy in the post-Cold War era and a frontline against authoritarian expansion in the new Cold War. Theoretically, the study underscores the role of ideological interests alongside security and economic factors, offering a systematic discussion on the interplay between geopolitical-economic logic and ideological considerations. Empirically, it provides insights in respect of the ideological dimensions of US foreign policy, informing the value-based public diplomacy strategies of Taiwan and other liberal democracies.

Top of page

Editor’s notes

Manuscript received on 12 April 2025. Accepted on 11 December 2025.

Excerpt

Full text document will be published online on June 2027.

Outline

Background
Ideology in great power competition
Cultural hegemony in international relations
Methods and data
Ideological interests as drivers of US-led support for Taiwan
The early Cold War (1950s–1960s)
The late Cold War (1970s–1980s)
The post-Cold War era (1990s–late 2010s)
The new Cold War (late 2010s–present)
Taiwan’s agency
Conclusion

First lines

Since the Cold War, the US has repeatedly offered military support to Taiwan during crises in the Taiwan Strait, such as during the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, the First, Second, and Third Taiwan Strait Crises (1954–55, 1958, and 1995–96), and China’s military exercises around Taiwan in 2022. Regardless of whether it was before or after the severance of US–Taiwan diplomatic ties in 1979, the US has provided Taiwan with considerable support not only in military security but also in the economic, political, and diplomatic domains. What motivates the US to offer such defence and support to Taiwan?

Existing research highlights the influence of various national interests – defence, economic, and ideological – on US policy towards Taiwan (Fong 2026a). Studies have highlighted US security interests in Taiwan, including securing a geopolitical chokepoint (Erickson and Wuthnow 2016; Beckley and Brands 2023), ensuring freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait (You and Hao 2018; Xin an...

Top of page

References

Bibliographical reference

Jaw-Nian Huang, “Ideological Interests and US Support for Taiwan: A Structural Analysis of Hegemonic Competition”, China Perspectives, 145 | 2026, 41-51.

Electronic reference

Jaw-Nian Huang, “Ideological Interests and US Support for Taiwan: A Structural Analysis of Hegemonic Competition”, China Perspectives [Online], 145 | 2026, Online since 01 June 2027, connection on 13 July 2026. URL: http://journals.openedition.org/chinaperspectives/20752; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/16hk5

Top of page

About the author

Jaw-Nian Huang

Jaw-Nian Huang is Associate Professor at the Graduate Institute of Development Studies, National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan (jnhuang@nccu.edu.tw).

Top of page

Copyright

CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0

The text only may be used under licence CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. All other elements (illustrations, imported files) may be subject to specific use terms.

Top of page
Contents - Previous document
Search OpenEdition Search

You will be redirected to OpenEdition Search