Stephan Thome

In the organizer's words:

Narrow waters, dangerous currents

On the conflict in the Taiwan Strait

In dialog, lecture

It is a conflict that is keeping the world on tenterhooks - could Taiwan face a fate similar to that of Ukraine? The communist leadership in Beijing regards Taiwan as a "renegade province" that must be reunited with the motherland. Taipei, on the other hand, wants to preserve its de facto independence and hard-won democracy. As a leading chip manufacturer and due to its location in the western Pacific, the island state also has enormous significance for the rivalry between the People's Republic of China and the USA.

In his book, Stephan Thome sheds light on the background to this conflict, which is usually neglected in media coverage. He analyzes China's concept of "nation" as well as its claims under international law and shows what Taiwan's geography means for a possible military conflict. He explains in broad strokes how China's self-image as an old and new world power, as well as American alliance policy in the Pacific, have contributed to the current situation. The battle for Taiwan affects us in Europe much more than we think.

Stephan Thome is a sinologist, writer and philosopher. For years he was a research assistant at various research institutions in Taipei. Alongside his academic work, he publishes novels, and in 2014 he was awarded the Art Prize for Literature by the Akademie der Künste Berlin. Stephan Thome currently lives in Taipei.

Price information:

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