What is Taiwan—and how did it become the place it is today? At a recent AKWorld program, Professor Emerita Diddy Hitchins took members on a sweeping journey through Taiwan’s history, exploring the island’s Indigenous roots, centuries of outside influence, Chinese and Japanese rule, and its remarkable transformation into a modern democracy. Dr. Hitchins began developing this talk as part of a course she and the late Paul Dunscomb were planning to co-teach at UAA this fall. AKWorld was honored to host this presentation in his memory.
Dr. Hitchins began by placing Taiwan’s history in geographic and cultural context. The island, roughly the size of Maryland or Belgium, developed with its own Indigenous cultures and distinct history, while its proximity to China brought centuries of migration, trade, and interaction. European powers also became part of Taiwan’s story, including the Portuguese, Dutch, and later other foreign traders and missionaries, although no outside influence, whether Asian or European, controlled the entirety of the island until the Japanese in 1895.
The island’s modern history was shaped particularly by Japanese rule beginning in 1895. Japan established the first administration to exert control over the entire island and invested heavily in education, agriculture, health, sanitation, and infrastructure. Taiwan also became strategically important to Japan during World War II.
The end of the war brought another dramatic transition. Taiwan came under the control of the Republic of China, and after the Chinese Civil War, Chiang Kai-shek and the Nationalist government relocated to Taiwan in 1949. What followed was decades of authoritarian rule and martial law, including the repression remembered as the White Terror.
Dr. Hitchins highlighted how this difficult history ultimately contributed to the development of a distinct Taiwanese political identity. Martial law ended in 1987, Taiwan transitioned toward democracy, and in 1996 held its first direct presidential election. Today, Taiwan has regular competitive elections and peaceful transfers of political power between its major political parties.
At the heart of the presentation was the question of Taiwan’s political status. She challenged the audience to consider how history, sovereignty, identity, and international recognition intersect. Taiwan functions as a self-governing political entity, with a defined territory, permanent population, effective government, and the capacity to conduct extensive international economic and cultural relations. At the same time, the People’s Republic of China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, making Taiwan’s international diplomatic status complex.
Dr. Hitchins emphasized that understanding Taiwan today requires understanding the many layers of history that preceded it—from Indigenous peoples and European traders to Chinese migration, Japanese colonial rule, the Chinese Civil War, decades of authoritarian government, and Taiwan’s eventual democratization. This history has created a Taiwan that is unique from mainland China, but at least for the current generation, better with the status quo than the alternative.
About the Speaker
Diddy Hitchins is Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA), where she dedicated more than three decades to teaching, scholarship, and public service. Joining the UAA faculty in 1976, she became one of Alaska’s most respected scholars in comparative politics and international relations, with particular expertise in parliamentary political systems, the North Pacific region, and U.S. foreign policy. Her academic interests span Canada, Russia – especially the Russian Far East, Japan, the Koreas, China, and the Circumpolar North, reflecting a lifelong commitment to helping students understand the global forces shaping Alaska and the world.
Before arriving in Alaska, Dr. Hitchins spent five years teaching and researching in the Politics Department at the University of Ghana, Legon, while finishing her PhD at the University of Essex, UK. At UAA, she founded the Canadian Studies and International North Pacific Studies programs, served as chair of the Political Science Department for 12 years, led the Model UN of Alaska as Faculty Director, and served as President of the Faculty Senate.
Beyond the university, Dr. Hitchins served from 1985 until 2025 as the British Honorary Consul for Alaska. In recognition of her distinguished public service, she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in 2005 and was inducted into the Alaska Women’s Hall of Fame in 2013. Close to our hearts, she served as President of the Alaska World Affairs Council from 1979-1980 and chaired the Program Committee from 1976 until 1990.
