Among Chinese societies, Taiwan has been the only one to witness peaceful power transfer by election, and yet its democratic experience receives contrasting appraisals both abroad and domestically. For authoritarian rulers in China and Singapore, Taiwan exemplifies the negative lesson of empowering people, since it seems to be synonymous with political instability, prolonged decision-making and economic inefficiency. NGO activists in Hong Kong and Malaysia and liberals in China, on the other hand, look favourably at Taiwan's vibrant civil society, which has brought about progressive reforms. At home, there is a pervasive sense of ambivalence among average citizens, who cherish their political freedom and yet resent overtly partisan politicking. While a solid Taiwanese national identity is on the steady rise(from 17.6 per cent in 1992 to 57.5 per cent in 2013, according to the Election Study Center, National Chengchi University), the political landscape is relentlessly fissured by the power struggle between pan-blue and pan-green camps.
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