Taiwan occupies a paradoxical position in the contemporary world: A polity with unresolved sovereignty that has achieved technological centrality, democratic resilience, and a distinct national identity. This Element addresses that condition through contested globalization, arguing that economic integration is contingent on geopolitical architecture and its consequences can alter arrangements. Drawing on William Sewell's concept of eventful temporality, it identifies three postwar geopolitical periods – the Cold War, US–China détente, and strategic competition – and traces how each reconfigured Taiwan's developmental constraints and opportunities. Across political economy, civil society, and national identity, it develops the concepts of Silicon Shield paradox, double helix of civil society, and contested cosmopolitanism to illuminate small-state agency under constraint. Archival research, interviews, and protest network analysis trace cumulative, unintended processes; a three-phase survey design shows expectations about Taiwan's future are more precarious than conventional measures suggest. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.