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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