Taiwan's Literary Victory Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
Written by Chi-Hui Lin When Taiwanese author Yang Shuang-zi’s “Taiwan Travelogue” won the 2026 International Booker Prize, it marked a historic breakthrough on the global stage. But behind the triumph lay a sharp geopolitical reality. On stage, Lin King, who translated the book into English, gave voice to the anxiety looming over Taiwan, where she spent a large part of her childhood. “In 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, I made the explicit decision that rather than translating Sinophone works indiscriminately, I would only translate writing from Taiwan for the foreseeable future,” she said in her acceptance speech. “I will continue to do so until the day comes that my homeland’s sovereignty is no longer a provocation or a punchline — until no English speaker feels comfortable saying to me, ‘I really should come visit you in Taiwan while it still exists.'” “Taiwan Travelogue” follows a young Japanese writer visiting Japanese-colonized Taiwan in May 1938 on an official government-sponsored lecture tour. As she and her Taiwanese interpreter explore local street food together, a subtle intimacy unfolds between them. The narrative centers Taiwan’s history rather than Beijing’s preferred “Greater China” framework. “Literature and politics are directly connected,” Yang told DW. “Politics determines the allocation of resources, and the allocation of resources determines which works get pulled out, held up high and defined as ‘good literature.’ The idea that politics can just be kept out of it doesn’t exist.” A few days after the 2026 International Booker Prize was announced, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office reacted by saying: “Writers from both sides of the Taiwan Strait should firmly uphold a national standpoint, respect historical facts, and squarely face the immense suffering inflicted upon the Chinese people … by Japan’s war of aggression and fascism.” “From China’s perspective, they do not want to see Taiwan’s voice gain prominence.” Yang said. Her book demonstrates that Taiwanese culture is shaped by multiple historical strands — including indigenous, Japanese colonial and local Han influences, rather than being merely a “branch of Chinese culture.” During Yang’s German book tour this October, an event at the Literaturhaus in Munich sparked controversy when the writer’s interpreter significantly shortened certain statements concerning Taiwan, China, history, and politics. The interpreter later admitted that there had been oversights and shortcomings in the translation but denied deliberately deleting content due to their political stance or the situation in Taiwan. Beijing claims Taiwan as a Chinese province and has long threatened to use force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan’s democratically elected president has rejected Beijing’s assertion that its laws apply to Taiwan. Since 1949, Taiwan has functioned with de facto independence, maintaining its own government, military, and legal systems while facing ongoing military pressure from Beijing. China’s monitoring of Taiwanese international engagement reaches far further than words over a literature prize. “The target of suppression and harassment primarily include outspoken individuals, exiled activists, diaspora community organizers, alongside their family members and close affiliates back home,” said Dr. Yan-ho Lai, senior fellow of Georgetown Center for Asian Law. “From the PRC’s (People’s Republic of China) eyes, these groups are a threat to regime security, as they are able to amplify the dissenting voices and alternative stories of China to the West.” In April this year, Taiwanese barista Lin Shao-hsing, also known as Bala, won the 2026 World Latte Art Championship in the United States. Soon after, all mention of Taiwan as it related to Bala’s win was removed from the official World Coffee Championships website. It now says that Bala was representing “the competition body of Chinese Taipei,” a term often used in international contests, such as the Olympics, to refer to Taiwan, but almost never used in Taiwan itself. According to a 2026 poll by National Chengchi University’s Election Study Center, the vast majority of people in Taiwan identify as “Taiwanese,” while only 2.5% identify as Chinese. In 2024, China allegedly planned to stage a “car collision” during Taiwanese Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim’s visit to the Czech capital Prague. Czech intelligence officials told local media that the incident had been part of a much larger and escalatory plan by Chinese diplomats and intelligence officers working out of the Chinese embassy in Prague. In early October this year, the FBI said authorities arrested a woman in California for allegedly spying on the son of Taiwan’s president. According to the US Department of Justice, the woman had traveled to Seattle in 2025 under instructions from Beijing to monitor the Taiwanese president’s son and his family, capturing photos, video footage, and license plate information. During a press conference on October 6, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it “consistently opposes the hype surrounding so-called ‘Chinese spies’ and the smearing and vilification of China.” “It reflects the ambiguity and limitation of international law, that the PRC using soft power to restrict the visibility of Taiwan may not directly fall into international law arena, as Taiwan is not recognized by international bodies as a sovereign state party.” said Dr. Lai.
