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 China, managed by former major league manager Terry Collins, will next face the loser of Saturday's late game between Japan and South Korea on Sunday for a chance to advance to the second round of the 16-nation tournament.
Taiwan, missing New York Yankees pitcher Chien-Ming Wang and Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Hong-Chih Kuo, was eliminated from the tournament.
Chang, who plays in the Pittsburgh Pirates minor league system, also made his team's final out with a slick play at shortstop.
"I'm just real pleased that I could help my team," he said.
Collins said Chang "played great for us."
"He has made good plays defensively and got some big hits. This is a great win for our team and all of China."
Feng Fei gave China a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning with a sacrifice fly that scored Hou Fenglian from third.
Chu Fujia scored on an infield single by Hou to put China ahead 2-0, and Chang then drove in China's third run with a double to left, scoring Sun Lingfeng from second.
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Peng Cheng-min got a run back for Taiwan in the top of the sixth with a single to center that scored Lin Che-hsuan.
Chang restored China's three-run lead in the bottom of the eighth inning with a solo homer to left off Taiwan pitcher Ni Fu-ta.
China starting pitcher Lu Jiangang, formerly of the Chunichi Dragons in the Japanese league, gave up one run over 5-1/3 innings to pick up the win.
China also defeated Taiwan 8-7 in 12 innings at the Beijing Olympics, but had lost 12-2 to the same opponent in the 2006 WBC, when the Chinese lost all three games.
[Associated Press; By JIM ARMSTRONG]
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