An Analysis Of The Influence Of Chinese Cultural Identity Upon The Development Of Relations Across The Taiwan Straits

In recent years, the tension between Taiwan and mainland China has been alleviated; and on the basis of "1992 Consensus", exchange and cooperation across the Taiwan Straits in fields such as economy and trade, talents and culture have been enhanced, especially in Chinese cultural identity which both sides have put great effort into. However, considering the current situation, the prospect of reunification is not clear, which appears contrary to the theory of cultural identity.In fact, this is a natural result of the particular development of Taiwan in the past hundred years, as well as a special outcome of the different historical development between the two sides in cultural identity. Due to the special historical reason, the development of the two sides in cultural identity is quite distinct from each other, and the level of development is also imbalanced. Furthermore, as a branch of Chinese nation, Taiwan has gradually formed its own national awareness, which has a deep influence on the mutual integration between Taiwan and mainland China. Added with the effort those who support Taiwan independence has made in fermenting Taiwan localization movement at the instigation of American and Japanese force, the reunification between the two sides is confronted with many practical problems. Based on the analysis of the different historical development processes of the two sides in cultural identity, the influence of the differential development on cross-strait relations is summed up with the purpose of pursuing the possibility of integration in Chinese cultural identity across the Taiwan Straits, and the measure to take for improving the cultural identity between both sides and for promoting mutual development are also put forward in the paper.The paper is divided into the following parts for discussion:the research background, the content and meaning of the research and its theoretical foundation are introduced in the introduction part; the relevant theory of cultural identity and constructivism is illustrated in the first part; from vertical angle of history, the development and evolution of Chinese cultural identity in Taiwan and mainland China in modern times are analyzed in the second part, in which the influence of the different development of Chinese cultural identity in the relations between both sides of the Taiwan Strait is expounded; the challenges that the development of relations across the Taiwan Straits are facing in cultural identity and their causes are analyzed in the third part; and the reasonable proposals for improving the cultural identity of both sides and promoting their integration are put forward based on constructivism in the fourth part.