A Study of the Series of "Letters to Taiwanese Compatriots" (告台灣同胞書)

Abstract

This paper analyses the main texts devoted to the reunification with Taiwan and its depiction as an integral part of the "Chinese Dream." The texts analysed are part of the epistolary series "Letters to Taiwanese Compatriots" published between 1950 and 2019 in the People's Republic of China (PRC). The aim of this study is to identify the PRC's attempts to frame Taiwanese sovereignty in its own history and narrative through cultural, ideological, economic, and military appeals directed as much to the Chinese people as to the international community. Studying the letters issued by multiple organs linked to the Communist Party of China, this article explores the evolution of political communication directed at Taiwan in the PRC over the decades, beginning with the cross-strait crises of the 1950s, moving through the establishment of diplomatic relations with foreign countries in the 1970s, and ending with China's global rise over the past three decades.