21-Seiki Tonan Ajia no Kyoken Seiji: “Sutoronguman” Jidai no Torai [21st century authoritarian politics in Southeast Asia: the arrival of the “strongman” era]

China, One Taiwan,” or “One China, Two systems.”) Shimizu argues that this unique pause for one beat is indeed the space that the ROC or Taiwan has struggled to develop. She insightfully explains that Taiwan’s unending space-creating efforts have essentially realized the sustainable status quo. It is interesting to find that this unique diplomatic wisdom and technique of activating the “middle ground,” a pause for one beat, were most remarkably seen and developed in the dual history of Japan–ROC and Japan–Taiwan relations. Shimizu’s original argument regarding the “reproduction of status quo” should be testedwith a closer examination of Lee Deng-hui period, which is beyond the book’s scope. The sequel of the book, therefore, is highly anticipated.