Taiwan's Dependency

It is said that imperialism is usually more beneficial for the "imperialist" than the "imperialized" (p 381). In this type of relationship, between two or more countries, "the poverty of the poor nations is exacerbated and often caused by their economic relations with more powerful countries" (p 381). Imperialism often involves a dependent country that becomes increasingly more poor as it gets to be more dependent. Apparently, upon initial glance, Taiwan seems to be a "paradox" with regard to imperialism. As Hill Gates writes about in her article titled "Dependency and the Part - time Proletariat in Taiwan," Taiwan's dependency on more powerful nations provides a unique case for one to examine. Although Taiwan is dependent on the United States' and Japan's "trade, military, and financial inputs,"  they have also "industrialized reasonably rapidly" and "produce(ed) the second highest living standard in Asia" (p 381). It seems as if Taiwan transcends and contrasts the natural system of functioning, within "dependency theory" (p 382). It could be said that this is because of the country's productivity levels. Taiwan has also maintained, according to Samuel P.S. Ho, a "unique relationship with two of the world's most dynamic economies" and this is definitely "one of the strategic reasons" for its "success" (p 383). This relationship included a "government willingness to promote capitalism" (p 382). Rather than celebrate what seams like a positive for Taiwan, Gates claims that the negative aspects of the dependent relationship are just better hidden. 

In order to look deeper into this situation, Hill Gates examines and talks about the class system in Taiwan. She says that there are five main social classes in Taiwan. The classes that are the focus of this article, are the new middle class and the last/ poor group, which makes up for just above 5% of the population. Gates describes the new middle class as "the class most of Taiwan's movies, fiction, and TV shows portray"(p 393). She also claims that this is the class whose "interests lie with big capitalism and the government that nourishes it" (p 393). Unfortunately, this middle class is exploited in Taiwan, as the nation "has not proceed(ed)… far in its capitalist and technological development" (p 392). Taiwan does not have a handle on the ways of capitalism, which it is supposedly benefiting from. Gates goes into describing the middle class even further, when she compares it to an "exploited petty bourgeoisie, whose most important product is cheap laborers, the distortion of the development of the industrial proletariat as a class, and the encouragement of reactionary familism and ageism" (p 405). Because of this situation with the middle class, there will be debt for the future generations. Although imperialism seems to be positive in Taiwan on a surface level, as Gates points out, the negative aspects are just better hidden. Taiwan has not successfully mastered functioning, while relating to capitalist systems. Although it may seem like they are benefiting from the countries they are dependent on, this relationship is creating a future for them that involves debt and more dependence. Unfortunately, Taiwan's dependency may not be a unique case after all.  

Work Cited

Gates, Hill. 1979. "Dependency and the Part-time Proletariat in Taiwan." Modern China 5 (3): 381 - 408.