Join us FEBRUARY 12, 2026 at 3:30 PM in Thomson Hall 317 for a special talk by Chris Horton on his book “Ghost Nation: the Story of Taiwan and its Struggle for Survival.”
This event is HYBRID. You can register to attend in person or online at the link below.
Horton will compare Beijing’s claim that Taiwan has been Chinese territory “since time immemorial” with Taiwan’s actual history. Several different groups have controlled some or all of Taiwan over the last 400 years — the Dutch, Spanish, Tungning, Manchu, Japanese, Chinese, and now, Taiwanese. By looking at those who have ruled Taiwan, Horton also tells the story of the Taiwanese people, highlighting their intergenerational quest for self-determination — and the existential threat posed by an expansionist Chinese Communist Party.
Chris Horton is a freelance journalist and author who has been based in Taipei, Taiwan for the past decade. He previously spent 13 years in China and two in Hong Kong. He has written extensively for The New York Times, Bloomberg News, Nikkei Asia, The Atlantic and elsewhere, covering Taiwan’s national security, diplomacy, economy, culture and more. His new book, Ghost Nation: The Story of Taiwan and its Struggle for Survival (Macmillan) examines how four centuries of serial colonization shaped the people who fought for what is now Asia’s freest – and most threatened – democratic country.
This event is sponsored by the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation.
Accommodation requests related to disability or health condition should be made at least ten days ahead of event date. Contact taiwanst@uw.edu