The Tiger Leading the Dragon

Until now, the contributions by Taiwan to China’s economic, social, and cultural development have not received the attention they deserve. Most research about economic cooperation between these two countries concerns the political implications of their cooperation, investigating whether the integration of the two economies could narrow the political gap between them and eventually lead to unification. In her new book, Rigger argues that the main reason for once-poor, secretive, and isolated China to become the second most important economy in the world has been Taiwan…{T]his book traces the development of the economic relationship between Taiwan and China and explores how Taiwanese companies and their employees transformed Chinese business practices. It also explores the possibility that this transformation may have influenced Chinese consumer behavior toward philanthropy, religion, popular culture, and law. Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates. General readers. * Choice Reviews *
After Taiwan’s labor costs rose in the 1980s and the island’s first democratically elected president lifted the ban on travel to China, many entrepreneurs moved their manufacturing operations to the mainland. They found a warm welcome from a Chinese government that was eager to foster its own export sector. Rigger insightfully relates the good and bad mainland experiences of various businesses, from umbrella manufacturers and bicycle makers to high-tech enterprises such as Foxconn, which produces most of the world’s iPhones; the computer maker Acer; and the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, which makes crucial high-end computer chips. She entertainingly describes how some Taiwanese firms created new markets in China for coffee, noodles, and bridal photos. * Foreign Affairs *
The Tiger Leading the Dragon traces the development of cross-Strait economic integration over the past few decades. The main argument is that Taiwan has played a crucial role in bringing China into the global supply chain network as well as in transforming China’s social development. Shelley Rigger interviewed a wide range of people to provide readers with first-hand information. The book comes out at the right time, when close economic ties between Taiwan and China are about to experience dramatic changes. It offers solid background information for scholars to look ahead amid the volatile political economy across the Strait at present. The analysis and interpretations are coherent, and the real-life stories described in between the academic debates make the entire book an interesting read. * The China Quarterly *
The Tiger Leading the Dragon: How Taiwan Propelled China’s Economic Rise, by US-based academic Shelley Rigger, offers a concise history of business across the Taiwan Strait…. [It] deserves credit for piecing together an interesting history of cross-strait business and cultural relations. * Taipei Times *
A fascinating story of the Taiwan factor in making China the factory of the world. Shelley Rigger’s lively book is a must-read for those interested in the role of Taiwanese enterprises in globalization, past and present. -- Wu Jieh-min, Academia Sinica
This is an insightful study—one that students and scholars seeking to understand the Taiwanese economic miracle and how it connects with China's role as a global manufacturing powerhouse will find immensely useful. -- Chun-yi Lee, European Association of Taiwan Studies
From umbrellas to iPhones and spanning history from the Ming to the present, Rigger offers a sweeping account of how Taiwanese business (Taishang) changed China profoundly over the last four decades. Taishang changed how, where, and what goods were produced in China, what Chinese people ate and even exerted a heavy influence on China's pop music. The Tiger Leading the Dragon, with its entertaining anecdote-filled narrative, provides the most comprehensive account of the multifaceted influence of Taishang on China's economic, social, and cultural transformation. -- Douglas B. Fuller, City University of Hong Kong