During the 1970's, Taiwan encountered a string of major diplomatic setbacks, such as the Diaoyutai Incident in 1970, withdrawal from the United Nations in 1971, the ending of diplomatic relations with Japan in 1972, and the ending of U.S. relations in 1978. Over the course of this decade, Taiwan gradually sank into global isolation. Yet these difficulties also triggered deep cultural introspection in which the ‘worshipping of beauty’ of the 1960's was no longer embraced, and the existentialism of Sartre and Camus was explored. “Cleanse society, embrace the people” became the vanguard at the time, and a return to reality and local issues was created within many areas of society, beginning with literature and continuing on to music, art, architecture, design, and even commercial activities.