Taiwan is one of the great paradoxes of the international order. A place with its own flag, currency, government and military, but which most of the world does not recognise as a sovereign country. An island that China regards as a 'rebellious province', but which has managed to survive defiantly for decades. Now with its neighbour China a major power on the world stage and ally United States looking increasingly inward, Taiwan's position has never been more precarious.
Kerry Brown and Kalley Wu Tzu-hui reveal how the island's shifting fortunes have been shaped by centuries of conquest and by a cast of dynamic characters, by Cold War intrigue and the rise of its neighbour as a global power, explaining how this tiny island, caught between the agendas of two superpowers, is attempting to find its place in a rapidly changing world order.
The Trouble with Taiwan relates the story of a fascinating nation and culture, and how its disputed status speaks to a wider, global story about Chinese control and waning US influence.

Kerry Brown is Professor of Chinese Studies and Director of the Lau China Institute at King's College, London. Prior to that he was Professor of Chinese Politics at the University of Sydney, and Head of the Asia Programme at Chatham House, London. With 30 years experience of life in China, he has worked in education, business and government, including a term as First Secretary at the British Embassy in Beijing. He is author of over 20 books on contemporary China, including The World According to Xi: Everything You Need to Know About the New China (2018). He is currently working on a history of Britain's relations with China since the 16th century.

Timeline of Events
Introduction - The Great Asian Game
1. Contested Histories: From the Ming to Today
2. The Great Transformation: Democratization and the Impact on Taiwan's Identity
3. At the Front Line of `Sharp Power': Taiwan's Relation with the People' Republic of China.
4. Worlds Apart: Taiwan's International Space
5. Parallel Lives: Taiwan's Economic Identity
6. Thinking Through the Issue of Taiwan
Conclusion: The Trouble with Taiwan