Soft power and conflict transformation: The case of Taiwan

This thesis examines the role of soft power in conflict settings and its impact on the transformation of conflict. The research is aimed at drawing a theoretical framework that would depict the relationship between the use of soft power and conflict transformation. The Taiwan conflict is chosen for elaboration as the case study.The general proposition is that the use of soft power in conflict settings paves the way for the transformation of conflict, as it is observed in Taiwan case. The following research questions are answered: Does increasing use of soft power make the way for conflict transformation? In what direction has the Taiwan conflict been influenced by the increasing use of soft power by the parties? To what extent does the use of soft power by the PRC and Taiwan affect the future of the conflict between them? The main contribution of this thesis is that it generates a middle-range theory that identifies the relationship between two concepts, soft power and conflict transformation, with a constructivist approach to the Taiwan conflict. Keywords Soft power, conflict transformation, China, Taiwan, constructivism