The limitations of the foot-in-the-door effect in China’s united front work toward Taiwan: An analysis of Kinmen County

This study employs the foot-in-the-door (FITD) effect as an analytical framework for examining the effectiveness of China’s united front efforts targeting Kinmen. FITD refers to a persuasion technique characterized by the gradual commitment of resources to achieve incremental effects on the recipient. Operationally, we establish a United Front Effectiveness Index (UFEI) to quantify and interpret the FITD concept. Focusing on the case of Kinmen County, this paper yields the following empirical findings. First, the UFEI indicates that the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) united front policy toward Kinmenese has indeed shown diminishing marginal returns. This may be because Kinmenese have developed a psychological defense mechanism against the highly politicized united front policy. Second, Kinmenese who exhibit a higher degree of identification with China are more significantly influenced by united front policies, and this is reflected in their higher UFEI scores. This paper attempts to integrate psychological and economic perspectives into the discussion of the CCP’s united front work, thereby deepening research in this domain.