Warming hearts, hardening identities: Affective decoupling in Taiwan–China student exchanges

Why does sustained cross-Strait contact fail to produce political convergence despite cultural proximity? This study introduces affective decoupling—a mechanism whereby interpersonal exchanges increase everyday warmth while simultaneously reinforcing political identity boundaries. Exploiting a quasi-experimental design with naturally staggered departure schedules, we compare Taiwanese students before and after semester-long exchanges in China (N = 258) and incorporate qualitative interviews to clarify underlying mechanisms. Exchange participation significantly increases emotional warmth toward living in China, yet simultaneously decreases support for conditional unification and strengthens Republic of China identification. Contact theory’s convergence prediction fails when institutional asymmetry and sovereignty denial transform interpersonal encounters into identity-consolidating experiences.