How the narrative of China as a threat evolved into a populist attitude in Taiwan during the administration of the Democratic Progressive Party (2016–24)

Abstract The essence of populism lies in constructing an antagonism between “the people” and “the elite.” In this respect, populism can be criticized as making use of rhetorical strategies rather than conveying an objective reality, with privileged groups often employing populist rhetoric to fabricate a disadvantaged identity for strategic political gains. The “anti-China” populist rhetoric of the administration of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) exemplifies this phenomenon. For example, there is evidence that Taiwan’s democratization and economic success have given rise to a Taiwanese sense of superiority over mainland China. There is also evidence that the DPP has leveraged the “China threat” narrative to construct perceptions of insecurity and threat, thereby creating a sense of national victimhood that helps to gain political support in which mainland China is framed as a scapegoat for Taiwan’s eroding superiority. The cross-strait antagonism has been framed as a confrontation between “threatening Taiwan” and “defending Taiwan,” with references also to Taiwan as a “beacon of democracy” and “defender of international order” and mainland China as an “authoritarian threat” and “disruptor of international order.” This article argues that the DPP administration has exaggerated and manipulated the “China threat” narrative, reshaping it into a form of “populism of the privileged.” The article also goes further in that is it highlights important differences with traditional forms of populism: Unlike such populism, which is typically driven by the lower social classes, Taiwan’s “anti-China” populism illustrates that a sense of privilege and victimhood narrative can comfortably sit alongside each other.