History of the Committee Prior to 2025, numerous informal gatherings emerged that saw extensive discussion by academics, public

officials, political leaders, and concerned citizenry. The culmination of such meetings is seen in the convening of the illustrious members of the Taipei onvention, who actively participated in the dialogue that has ta!en place throughout the years. "n addition to the casual exchanges, several forums and collo#uia have ta!en place that facilitated additional conversation between members of high$ran!ing political and scholarly organizations regarding the appropriate direction for Taiwan%s future. &rguably, the most prominent of these early meetings was in 'ctober 20(2 with the )*ational Taiwan +niversity ollo#uium on the ,ainland hina -inancial .uestion,/ 0*T+ , -.1 where economic scholars came together to discuss the recent instability within the international financial mar!ets caused in part by the rising inflation on the mainland brought about by the unpegging of its currency from the +2 dollar and the slow response by the entral 3an! of hina to curb rising inflation rates. The volatility incensed hinese wor!ers that saw the value of their savings depreciate despite official assurance that the state was acting expeditiously to stabilize the value of the 4enminbi, and the inflation issue emerged as the focal point for numerous outbrea!s of rural discontent against the central government. The global concern regarding hina%s currency saw internationally$renowned scholars from across the world gather in Taiwan to advance their theories for appropriate courses of action to be ta!en for both national and international governance. Taiwanese attendees, adapting the ideas expounded by their 5estern counterparts, urged political leaders to adapt their economic policies to better shield against potentially negative effects of a wea!ened 4enminbi on the *ew Taiwan 6ollar, seen as a symbol of continued Taiwanese prosperity during a time of

economic turmoil in many parts of the world. The positive response on the part of ban! governors at the entral 3an! of the 4epublic of hina established a strengthened bond between the political and economic realms of Taiwan%s governance, while also demonstrating a greater incorporation of academic thought and ideology as an e#uitable partner in guiding Taiwan%s governing philosophy. 2uch a move helped better protect Taiwan from the economic fallout experienced by mainland hina throughout the mid$(0s, where the inflation rate remained dangerously high and spar!ed further riots and demands for reform by the hinese populace due to the inability for a significant portion of the population to purchase food staples and for crop prices to !eep pace with the rises in cost of living. 2tri!ing accounts of mass emigrations from the mainland to Taiwan led to an emergent nativist movement among the Taiwanese populace that saw the eventual convening of the 7anuary 20(8 onference on "mmigration, co$hosted by the 9uomintang political party and the Taiwan -irst itizen%s oalition, which saw the topic of independent Taiwanese cultural and historical identity broached for the first time in recent years. The primary outcome of this meeting was a position paper put out by the 9uomintang advocating greater authority to the *ational "mmigration &gency to scrutinize new residents and visitors to the island, a veiled rebu!e against the growing influx of mainland hinese. The issues of identity and protection saw subse#uent discussion in the 20(: *T+ ;eritage -orum, the 20(< establishment of the =xecutive >uan &dvisory ouncil on "dentity, and the 20(8 ?oint 5hampoa ,ilitary &cademy@*ational Police &gency +nified -orum on 3order ontrol, to the growing dismay of mainland officials who saw such cultural and political shifts as engendering a way of thin!ing that would solidify the desire for separation and independence. "n an effort to ta!e a conciliatory stance so as to mitigate the effects of the

growing nationalist sentiment within the island, the 2020 =xtraordinary 2ummit on ross$2trait ooperation saw the 2traits =xchange -oundation in Taiwan and the &ssociation for 4elations &cross the Taiwan 2traits in mainland hina bring together cabinet$level ministers and other high ran!ing officials to discuss ways for all to mutually benefit from the shared pursuit of success. 6espite numerous assurances from both sides to craft policy that would relieve the growing tensions across the straits, Taiwanese officials pressed for a continued stance of cautious s!epticism towards hinese motives. "n response, the hinese Politburo suggested that it would begin drafting legislation formalizing P4 authority over Taiwan and establishing federal policy that would codify penalties against those advocating independence, modeled after the proposed 200A unification law by mainland hinese scholar >u >uanzhou. The move polarized Taiwanese society, with significant proportions of the population either supporting peaceful reunification with the mainland 0due to the added influence of assimilated mainland hinese1 or calling for a formal renouncement of ties and a movement towards separation. The divide saw the fruition of countless debates, conferences, and meetings that have produced numerous reports and findings regarding the appropriate course of action for the island to ta!e. *ow, a special session called by the highest authorities of the land has seen the most powerful individuals come together to determine the eventual fate of Taiwan. The Taipei onvention is born from the labors and ideas of many great individuals, and now is the time to put those into action.