Tsao believes that previous Taiwanese historical studies have been too focused on Han perspectives and political transitions and didn't fully grasp that "Taiwan itself is an independent historical arena."
他認為，台灣史學的研究過去太注重漢人觀點與政治變遷，不曾徹底看清──「台灣島本身即是一個獨立的歷史舞台」。