On April 19, Ketagalan Boulevard in front of Taiwan’s Presidential Office became the stage for a massive demonstration under the banner: “Reject United Front Tactics, Safeguard Taiwan.” The rally was aligned with a citizen-led campaign to recall several Kuomintang (KMT) legislators, many of whom citizens fear are colluding with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from within, undermining Taiwan’s democratic institutions.
What stood out most, however, was not the turnout but the symbolism in the rally. For one of the first times ever, the flags of the Republic of China (ROC) and the Taiwan independence flag fluttered side by side. Chants of “Republic of Taiwan” mingled with calls for the “Republic of China.” This unprecedented convergence of historically opposing symbols marks a powerful shift in the landscape of Taiwanese identity.
Why would seeing these two flags – the ROC and the Taiwan Independence flag – flying side by side be such a powerful image? Because they represent two historically opposing visions for Taiwan’s future: its political system, its national identity, and its relationship to China.
For those who fly the Taiwan Independence flag, the ideal future is a Republic of Taiwan – one that is fully independent, with no remnants of the Republic of China or any connection to a broader “China” framework. They see the ROC as yet another colonial regime imposed from the outside, and envision a clean break from that legacy.
In contrast, those who embrace the ROC flag take pride in the Republic of China as a legitimate political institution. Despite its authoritarian origins and complicated history in Taiwan, they view the ROC as Taiwan’s rightful governing system and oppose any push for formal independence or dismantling of ROC institutions. Rather than replacing the ROC, they seek to strengthen it.
Historically, these two camps, divided by fundamentally different visions of Taiwan’s future, have struggled to find common ground. But the April 19 rally marked a rare convergence. What united them was a shared opposition to the CCP. For independence advocates, the CCP threatens their dream of a sovereign Taiwanese republic. For ROC loyalists, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) remains the enemy that seeks to erase their vision of a democratic, China-based alternative.
The rally signaled a possible shift, where naming Taiwan matters less than defending the democratic system shared by all Taiwanese, regardless of political label.
Why now? Why would these two camps choose this time to put their differences aside?
One explanation could be the increase in military threats against Taiwan. The CCP’s ambition toward Taiwan has never wavered, but its tactics have escalated over time. People’s Liberation Army (PLA) warplanes now cross the Taiwan Strait’s median line almost daily, and the number of aircraft encircling the island has steadily risen. At sea, clashes between Chinese and Taiwanese fishing vessels are more frequent.
These maneuvers are not just about intimidation. They serve a broader strategic goal: to normalize the CCP’s presence in Taiwan’s air and sea space, to strengthen its territorial claim, and to recast Taiwan’s status as a domestic matter. Beijing is, in effect, attempting to territorialize Taiwan – subordinating it and treating it as part of CCP’s internal affairs.
Taiwanese citizens increasingly sense a growing military threat to their territory. According to the Taiwan National Security Survey, a long-running project based at Duke University tracking public opinion on security issues, the percentage of respondents who believe China would launch an attack if Taiwan declared independence has risen sharply since 2020. While 41 percent held this view in 2017 and 50 percent in 2019, the figure has stayed above 60 percent since 2020, peaking at 66 percent in 2022, the year Pelosi visited Taiwan.
These military threats may have transformed Taiwan’s already distinct national consciousness into a more territorialized sense of “us,” sharpening the boundary between insiders and outsiders and anchoring identity in the island’s physical borders. Military threats emanating from the PRC could be contributing to a shared identity that focuses more on defending Taiwan’s territory than on what to call that territory.
The CCP’s threats to Taiwan are not limited to military maneuvers or gray zone tactics – they are also felt through internal interference in the everyday functioning of democratic governance. In his forthcoming book “Contested Taiwan: Sovereignty, Social Movements and Party Formation,” political scientist Lev Nachman (one of this piece’s authors) argues that not all CCP threats are perceived equally. Those involving domestic cooptation – when internal actors are seen as aiding Beijing – are especially potent. These threats significantly increase the likelihood of mass protest.
Perceived threats to Taiwan’s system of democratic governance are particularly visceral. For many Taiwanese, democracy is not just a hard earned political system; it defines the island’s effective governing territory and marks its clearest distinction from the PRC. When threats arise that could directly impact everyday freedoms and democracy, they feel far more immediate and personal than abstract geopolitical tensions.
The April 19 protests are a prime example of this kind of domestic cooptation threat mobilizing the mass public. When Taiwanese perceive that their democracy is at risk, they don’t stay home; they take to the streets. Defending Taiwan’s democracy simultaneously reinforces the understanding that Taiwan’s territorial boundaries are confined to the island itself. It deepens a territorially grounded sense of “us” among the Taiwanese people.
In conclusion, Beijing’s daily provocations – external and internal – have not eroded Taiwanese identity; they have fortified it by strengthening territorial awareness among Taiwan’s people. The unintended consequence of China’s growing aggression is the deepening of internal cohesion on the island. As resistance to authoritarian expansion becomes a shared priority, the debate over whether the community is called the “Republic of China” or the “Taiwan Republic” fades in urgency. What matters more is defending that community – defined by the island’s boundaries – and preserving its democratic way of life.