"TAIWAN NATION": FROM MYTH TO REALITY?

The article studies the theoretical and practical aspects of the development of Taiwan's residents' national identity. The analysis is based on the results of recent opinion polls which studied the trends in identity change of the Taiwanese people, their preferences and views on relations with mainland China. An attempt was made to establish a correlation between the changing identity, the wish of the majority of the population to maintain the status quo in relations with the PRC and the level of support of the political independence of Taiwan. The article shows that the share of those in Taiwan who identify as "Taiwanese" has been increasing over the last decades. At the same time, the belief that Taiwan is an independent state has also been strengthening. The authors analyse the internal and external factors that influenced the dynamics of identity change and the attitudes towards the problems of the status of Taiwan on the island over the last two years.