Beyond the Slogan: Securitization, Political Division, and Scholarly Refinement in Taiwan’s Ukraine Response
Following the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, the slogan “Today
Ukraine, Tomorrow Taiwan” gained global prominence, often framing crossstrait
relations through a pessimistic, military-centric lens. However, this discourse
frequently overlooks internal Taiwanese perspectives, particularly regarding nonmilitary
dimensions. This article addresses this gap through a systematic review of
Chinese-language peer-reviewed works authored by Taiwanese scholars between
2022 and 2025. The findings indicate that Taiwanese experts largely reject both
a direct Ukraine analogy and a military-centric approach, instead deriving multifaceted
lessons that encompass geopolitical, diplomatic, economic, and domestic
political strategies. Utilizing Securitization Theory, this study analyzes Taiwan’s
internal political fracture: while the ruling Democratic Progressive Party securitizes
the conflict to justify military reforms and protect a distinctive Taiwanese identity,
the opposition Kuomintang employs a desecuritizing narrative to advocate for
dialogue with China as a path toward peace and prosperity. Crucially, this study
highlights how scholarly discourse acts as a refinement mechanism in the securitization
process. Scholars do not merely legitimize government policies with analytical
substance; they also leverage their analytical expertise to resecuritize specific
strategic threats, thereby justifying the implementation of calibrated extraordinary
measures. Ultimately, the article argues that Taiwan’s post-Ukraine strategy will
emphasize policy continuity, suggesting the cross-strait status quo is likely to persist
in the short to medium term. By foregrounding these insider perspectives, this
study provides a necessary corrective to Western-centric assessments of East Asian
security. Furthermore, it offers a significant theoretical contribution by identifying
a functional division of labor between the government and scholars within the securitization
process.
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