This dissertation compares both contemporary US and Sino media reports concerning the Taiwan Issue. In reading news articles promulgated by official media outlets supported by the United States of America and the People’s Republic of China, regarding the various news events related to Taiwan, one is able to achieve a greater, more complete understanding of the issue itself and to a greater extent, US-Sino relations in general.
There are three primary components to this dissertation: a comparison of US and China media, a general introduction to the historical background and current situation of the Taiwan Issue and five years of specific case analysis (reviewing one major news event per year).
Using contemporary news media to analyze the Taiwan Issue, will not only increase the reader’s awareness of the situation in Taiwan but will also allow the reader to further reflect upon trends in the relationship between the US and the PRC. The key to achieving such an understanding is to identify the respective positions of both the USA and the PRC in an attempt to fully clarify the national interests and official positions of the two nation states. The writer hopes this method of analysis will eliminate various misunderstandings held by both sides.
First, it is imperative that we have a basic comprehension of the media as it exists in both the US and in China. At the same time it is equally important to have a complete understanding of the Taiwan Issue, both its historical context and the current situation. With this understanding we may conduct case analysis regarding specific news events related to Taiwan as they appear in state media outlets in both the US and in China. The Taiwan Issue, as well as US-Sino Relations, are continually evolving. There is no way to predict exactly how the Taiwan Issue will develop. However, in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of the Taiwan Issue, as well as the continual changes in US-Sino relations in general, cross-media comparative research will continue to be an indispensible tool.