Cover not available

In:Thinking Politically: Cognitive linguistic insights into political discourse
Edited by Anastasios Vogiatzis
[Figurative Thought and Language 22] 2027
► pp. 270–310

Chapter 12
Will Taiwan be the next Ukraine?

A comparative analysis of U.S. and Taiwanese media’s employment of the analogy and counter-analogy

 | National Taiwan University
 | National Taiwan University
 | National Taiwan University
 | National Taiwan University
This content is being prepared for publication; it may be subject to changes.
Abstract
This study investigates the critical role of analogy in shaping political discourse. By integrating theories of Idealized Cognitive Models (ICMs) and “Self–Other” dynamics, we examine the analogy “taiwan is the next ukraine” alongside the counter-analogy “taiwan is not the next ukraine” as presented in U.S. and Taiwanese media. Our proposed framework enhances current analogy research by facilitating both qualitative and quantitative analysis of analogical mappings. Findings indicate that differing ideologies of “Self” and “Other” influence the strategic use of these analogies across media outlets. By focusing on relational elements within the state icm and war icm, both U.S. and Taiwanese media emphasize a critical perspective on China while prioritizing their mutually compatible national interests. Ultimately, the analogy between Taiwan and Ukraine contributes a compelling illustration of the schema “the less powerful fighting against the more powerful through courage and wisdom,” offering valuable insights for future analogical reasoning based on this concept.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Background information, literature review, and the theoretical model of this study
    • 2.1Background information
    • 2.2Literature review, theoretical considerations, and the theoretical model of this study
  • 3.Methodology
    • 3.1Data sources
    • 3.2Data analysis
      • a.state icm
      • b.war icm
  • 4.Results
    • 4.1taiwan is the next ukraine: The state icm
      • 4.1.1Similarities between U.S. media and Taiwanese media
        • a.Physical formation
        • b.Sovereignty
        • c.Political system
      • 4.1.2Differences between U.S. media and Taiwanese media
        • a.International relations
      • 4.1.3Statistical trend
    • 4.2taiwan is not the next ukraine: The state icm
      • 4.2.1Similarities between U.S. media and Taiwanese media
        • a.Sovereignty
      • 4.2.2Differences between U.S. media and Taiwanese media
        • a.Physical formation
        • b.International relations
      • 4.2.3Statistical trend
    • 4.3Statistical analysis of media representations: The Taiwan–Ukraine analogy and counter-analogy within the framework of the state icm
    • 4.4taiwan is the next ukraine: The war icm
      • 4.4.1Similarities between U.S. media and Taiwanese media
        • a.Causes
        • b.Outcomes and impacts
      • 4.4.2Differences between U.S. media and Taiwanese media
        • a.Participants
        • b.Methods/Strategies
      • 4.4.3Statistical trend
    • 4.5taiwan is not the next ukraine: The war icm
      • 4.5.1Similarities between U.S. media and Taiwanese media
        • a.Participants
      • 4.5.2Differences between U.S. media and Taiwanese media
        • a.Participants, causes, outcomes, impacts, and methods/strategies
      • 4.5.3Statistical trend
    • 4.6Statistical analysis of media representations: The Taiwan–Ukraine analogy and counter-analogy within the framework of the war icm
  • 5.The self and the other
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
References (29)
References
Al-Zahrani, A. (2008). Darwin’s metaphors revisited: Conceptual metaphors, conceptual blends, and idealized cognitive models in the theory of evolution. Metaphor and Symbol, 23(1), 50–82. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Aubusson, P. J., Harrison, A. G., & Ritchie, S. M. (2006). Metaphor and analogy: Serious thought in science education. In P. J. Aubusson, A. G. Harrison, & S. M. Ritchie (Eds.), Metaphor and analogy in science education (pp. 1–9). Dordrecht, the Netherlands: Springer. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bellocchi, L. P. (2023). The strategic importance of Taiwan to the United States and its allies: Part two — Policy since the start of the Russia–Ukraine war. The U.S. Army War College Quarterly: Parameters, 53(3), 33–62. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Britannica Editors (2013, April 23). Analogy. In Encyclopedia Britannica. [URL]
Charteris-Black, J. (2004). Corpus approaches to critical metaphor analysis. Hampshire, England; New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Christie, S., Gentner, D., Call, J., & Haun, D. B. M. (2016). Sensitivity to relational similarity and object similarity in apes and children. Current Biology, 26(4), 531–535. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Cienki, A. (2010). Frames, idealized cognitive models, and domains. In D. Geeraerts & H. Cuyckens (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of cognitive linguistics (pp. 170–187). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Diamond, J. M. (2000). Taiwan’s gift to the world. Nature, 403, 709–710. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Feryna, J. & Kutěj, L. (2023). Implications for China from the war in Ukraine: Comparison of the Western and Taiwanese views. Obrana a Strategie (Defence and Strategy), 23(2), 23–38. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Gentner, D. (1983). Structure-mapping: A theoretical framework for analogy. Cognitive Science, 7(2), 155–170. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(2003). Psychology of analogical reasoning. In L. Nadel (Ed.), Encyclopedia of cognitive science (Vol. 1; pp. 106–112). London, England: Nature Publishing Group.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Gentner, D., Bowdle, B. F., Wolff, P., & Boronat, C. (2001). Metaphor is like analogy. In D. Gentner, K. J. Holyoak, & B. K. Kokinov (Eds.), The analogical mind: Perspectives from cognitive science (pp. 199–253). Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Gentner, D. & Clement, C. (1988). Evidence for relational selectivity in the interpretation of analogy and metaphor. Psychology of Learning and Motivation, 22, 307–358. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Gentner, D., & Hoyos, C. (2017). Analogy and abstraction. Topics in Cognitive Science, 9(3), 672–693. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hall, S. (2001). The spectacle of the Other. In M. Wetherell, S. Taylor, & S. J. Yates (Eds.), Discourse theory and practice (pp. 324–344). London, England: SAGE.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Holyoak, K. J. (2012). Analogy and relational reasoning. In K. J. Holyoak & R. G. Morrison (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of thinking and reasoning (pp. 234–259). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kövecses, Z. (2010). Metaphor: A practical introduction. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lakoff, G. (1987). Women, fire, and dangerous things: What categories reveal about the mind. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lakoff, G. & Johnson, M. (1980). Metaphors we live by. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Landis, J. R. (1995). Sociology: Concepts and characteristics (9th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lenard, D. B. & Ćosić, N. (2017). The analysis of metaphors and metonymies in political speeches: A case study of the former Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader. English Language Research Journal, 2017(2), 61–81. [URL]
Locke, J. (1980). Second treatise of government (C. B. Macpherson, Ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Publishing Company.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Musolff, A. (2016). Political metaphor analysis: Discourse and scenarios. London, England; New York, NY: Bloomsbury.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Norris, W. J. (2023). The devil’s in the differences: Ukraine and a Taiwan contingency. The Washington Quarterly, 46(1), 137–151. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Rich, T. S., Banerjee, V., & Tkach, B. (2023). How has the war in Ukraine shaped Taiwanese concerns about their own defense. Asian Survey, 63(6), 952–979. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Tilly, C. (1992). Coercion, capital, and European states, A.D. 990–1992. Oxford, England: Blackwell.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
van Dijk, T. A. (1993). Principles of critical discourse analysis. Discourse & Society, 4(2), 249–283. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(2013). Discourse and ideology. In M. Freeden, L. T. Sargent, & M. Stears (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of political ideologies (pp. 379–407). Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
War [def. 1]. (n.d.). In Merriam–Webster Dictionary. Retrieved December 25, 2025, from [URL]
Mobile Menu Logo with link to supplementary files background Layer 1 jbe-platform.quadraat-sans-bold jbe-platform.quadraat-sans-bold-dark jbe-platform.quadraat-sans-bold-light jbe-platform.quadraat-sans-bold prag Twitter_Logo_Blue