China’s Buffer Thinking towards Taiwan

Abstract How are we to understand China’s decades-long sovereignty claim over Taiwan? One assumption upheld by many international relations scholars is that state behaviour will change according a variance of polarity in the system. Yet while China can flexibly manage its territorial issues elsewhere, goal unification with Taiwan has not changed despite multiple structural changes system decades. This paper argues historical and nationalist approaches alone do explain unswaying obsession this island. Geopolitics plays far more prominent role minds Chinese leaders than have previously acknowledged. Since 1949, viewed as geopolitical buffer protecting security coastal areas. thinking towards was significant factor decisions launch military action against 1954, 1958, 1996.