Contemporary Taiwan is the most comprehensive and up-to-date study of the dynamic island republic available. Drawing on a broad range of documentary sources and on-site research, many of the world's leading specialists on Taiwanese affairs provide in-depth and expert analysis.This unique volume covers many aspects of Taiwan on the eve of the twenty-first century: the transition to and institutionalization of democracy; the domestic economy and foreign trade; social and cultural developments; science and technology; the environment; foreign relations and international status; relations with China; the history of the Republic of China; and Taiwan's modernization in comparative perspective.