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According to this, the majority of Taiwanese identify as Taiwanese only, not Chinese or not Taiwanese and Chinese...
Considering the fact they've been migrating their for 500 years, have created a unique culture (still obviously largely Chinese derived of course) mixing Hoklo, Hakka, aborigine, Japanese and European influences, and most Taiwanese self-identify as Taiwanese, shouldn't be acknowledge them as such?
I mean Australians often identify as Australian not English, Scottish or Irish (although they tend to identify also as Italian, Chinese.etc if they have that ancestry) and no one questions that, why should Taiwan be any different? Simply because of what their governments say?
According to this, the majority of Taiwanese identify as Taiwanese only, not Chinese or not Taiwanese and Chinese...
Considering the fact they've been migrating their for 500 years, have created a unique culture (still obviously largely Chinese derived of course) mixing Hoklo, Hakka, aborigine, Japanese and European influences, and most Taiwanese self-identify as Taiwanese, shouldn't be acknowledge them as such?
I mean Australians often identify as Australian not English, Scottish or Irish (although they tend to identify also as Italian, Chinese.etc if they have that ancestry) and no one questions that, why should Taiwan be any different? Simply because of what their governments say?
I hope Taiwan will become an independent nation, it'd be cool to see more Chinese speaking nations in the world actually.
Taiwan (the Republic of China) has been an independent nation since the Nationalists took over the island. Have you ever been there? I recommend a visit. Aside from the physical beauty of the place, Taiwanese culture is interesting for having preserved aspects of Chinese culture that were stamped out on the Mainland. Ancestor worship, traditional funerary practices, many Taoist traditions, etc. are alive and well. And the food is said to be the best Chinese food in all of Asia.
Taiwan (the Republic of China) has been an independent nation since the Nationalists took over the island. Have you ever been there? I recommend a visit. Aside from the physical beauty of the place, Taiwanese culture is interesting for having preserved aspects of Chinese culture that were stamped out on the Mainland. Ancestor worship, traditional funerary practices, many Taoist traditions, etc. are alive and well. And the food is said to be the best Chinese food in all of Asia.
Yes, I have. I spent almost three weeks there last year, Taipei and surrounds, Sun Moon Lake, Alishan, Hualien, Taroko Gorge...It is a great place to visit, it's got vibrant cities with delicious, cheap food, aboriginal culture and yes, the Chinese culture is better preserved.
No Taiwan is not an independent nation, at least the UN nor do most nations recognise it. The US recognised the ROC instead of the PRC until 1971. Currently it's more of a de-facto state, but doesn't have fully sovereignty yet. One of the main parties in Taiwan is pro-independence while the KMT wants reunification with China. If Taiwan wants to break away China has threatened military action.
Its independent. Its people elect its leaders, they pay taxes to it, it does not send tax revenues to Beijing or depdn on Beijing for foreign policy, it has its own armed forces, ergo, it has its own sovereignty. Recognition or non-recognition by bodies such as the UN doesn't change that. That is simply diplomatic maneuvering outside Taiwan in order to meet other countries political needs. China's words are also face-saving. Sea-borne invasions are among the hardest of military operations to effect successfully.
Its independent. Its people elect its leaders, they pay taxes to it, it does not send tax revenues to Beijing or depdn on Beijing for foreign policy, it has its own armed forces, ergo, it has its own sovereignty. Recognition or non-recognition by bodies such as the UN doesn't change that. That is simply diplomatic maneuvering outside Taiwan in order to meet other countries political needs. China's words are also face-saving. Sea-borne invasions are among the hardest of military operations to effect successfully.
Taiwan isn't far from China and China could launch nukes/missiles into there quite easily. Of course, that would probably herald WWIII, but I don't think Taiwan wants to risk China's wrath either way.
Taiwan isn't far from China and China could launch nukes/missiles into there quite easily. Of course, that would probably herald WWIII, but I don't think Taiwan wants to risk China's wrath either way.
Yes, that would be a good plan because then it could take possession of an uninhabitable, unusable, desolate, barren, radioactive lump of rock. And the radioactive fallout would, by and large, fall over.... China.
Fortunately the Chinese, despite their big jingoistic words and face-saving, are very smart and think wisely about these things, so its not going to happen.
Its not a serious scenario - it is for war-games players only.
Its independent. Its people elect its leaders, they pay taxes to it, it does not send tax revenues to Beijing or depdn on Beijing for foreign policy, it has its own armed forces, ergo, it has its own sovereignty. Recognition or non-recognition by bodies such as the UN doesn't change that. That is simply diplomatic maneuvering outside Taiwan in order to meet other countries political needs. China's words are also face-saving. Sea-borne invasions are among the hardest of military operations to effect successfully.
Great post! How can it not be independent? It operates by a thriving capitalist system, owes nothing and receives nothing from the Mainland, signs its own international treaties, and issues its own currency and stamps. Taiwan has always had missiles aimed at the Mainland. China wouldn't pound it with missiles anyway, probably, because they wouldn't want to destroy a thriving economy.
China owes the success of its hybrid economic system to an economist from Taiwan who swam across the straight because he needed a bigger challenge in his career than Taiwan had to offer him. He's one of the main architects of state capitalism over there. China needs Taiwan's economic expertise.
Does anyone realize the irony of the KMT wanting reunification with China? It's hard to believe. The KMT has always been hysterically anti-China, but I guess times change...
OP, next time you visit, I can't recommend more enthusiastically a visit to Orchid Island, if you really want a view of traditional aboriginal culture. You can get flights from Kaoshiung (IIRC). Do NOT take the boat, the seas are too rough. Going during the New Year holidays, when the young people are home on visit, is best.
Taiwan isn't far from China and China could launch nukes/missiles into there quite easily. Of course, that would probably herald WWIII, but I don't think Taiwan wants to risk China's wrath either way.
This is a silly proposal. China would not benefit from such an attack, and it would be unlikely to survive as a state if it were to perpetrate such. Taiwan is under the protection of the United States, and a Chinese nuclear attack, even against purely military targets, would pit China against the entire world. Even if there was no counter-attack, China would be devastated, economically. Trade would be completely shut-off. Taiwanese businessmen and investors on the mainland would self-destruct their companies. No one would get paid, no one would get food, and the PRC government would collapse in short order.
The most likely scenario, going forward, is that China will continue to pursue favorable trade and tourism policies with Taiwan, interlinking the two economies. As the United States "pivots" the balance of its forces from securing the Middle East energy resources to securing Asia's economic resources, they will probably informally cede some disputed waters to Taiwan and try to convince the Taiwanese to join their counter-balancing axis of power.
However, China is very bad at making friends in the region. They are already opposed by India, Vietnam, and Japan. Taiwan has strengthening ties to Japan, and a (healthy) mistrust of Communist China. Taiwan will probably continue to play coy, reaping economic and territorial benefits from China's overtures, without Taipei ceding any sovereignty to Beijing. Taiwan will act like the Switzerland of Asia; isolated by oceans rather than mountains. The Taiwanese are in a very good position, and they are only helped by the United States turning it's attention toward containing China.
Even the KMT doesn't trust China; they want reunification on their terms; with themselves represented in a democratic China. Without major political reform in China, both the Blues and the Greens in Taiwan will oppose reunification.
The Taiwanese are right to continue their de-facto statehood while benefiting from economic ties with the mainland. Moves toward independence would only hurt their economy without any real benefit. Moves toward reunification would only hurt their democratic freedom and independence.
Regarding national identity; China has a very long and storied history of which most people of Chinese descent are proud. I think most Taiwanese with family roots on the mainland, within the past 500 years, tend to claim this history as their own. However, the current political situation of the PRC is pretty much universally loathed by the Taiwanese. I believe most Taiwanese still think of themselves as the "real China" or the China that should have been, were it not for the premature death of Sun Yat-Sen. This probably will not change until China institutes democratic reforms.
Great post! How can it not be independent? It operates by a thriving capitalist system, owes nothing and receives nothing from the Mainland, signs its own international treaties, and issues its own currency and stamps. Taiwan has always had missiles aimed at the Mainland. China wouldn't pound it with missiles anyway, probably, because they wouldn't want to destroy a thriving economy.
China owes the success of its hybrid economic system to an economist from Taiwan who swam across the straight because he needed a bigger challenge in his career than Taiwan had to offer him. He's one of the main architects of state capitalism over there. China needs Taiwan's economic expertise.
Does anyone realize the irony of the KMT wanting reunification with China? It's hard to believe. The KMT has always been hysterically anti-China, but I guess times change...
OP, next time you visit, I can't recommend more enthusiastically a visit to Orchid Island, if you really want a view of traditional aboriginal culture. You can get flights from Kaoshiung (IIRC). Do NOT take the boat, the seas are too rough. Going during the New Year holidays, when the young people are home on visit, is best.
Yes in practice it is, and in everything except name it is a sovereign, independent nation. I just wish China would get over itself, and that the KMT, which basically came over from the mainland and dominated a place already inhabited by various groups of people, would get over it's grandiose dreams and get out of the way of Taiwan being independent.
I hope to visit again one day. The Taiwanese were very friendly, including the aboriginals I met. I'd like to visit Orchid island among other places like Yushan (Jade mountain).
This is a silly proposal. China would not benefit from such an attack, and it would be unlikely to survive as a state if it were to perpetrate such. Taiwan is under the protection of the United States, and a Chinese nuclear attack, even against purely military targets, would pit China against the entire world. Even if there was no counter-attack, China would be devastated, economically. Trade would be completely shut-off. Taiwanese businessmen and investors on the mainland would self-destruct their companies. No one would get paid, no one would get food, and the PRC government would collapse in short order.
The most likely scenario, going forward, is that China will continue to pursue favorable trade and tourism policies with Taiwan, interlinking the two economies. As the United States "pivots" the balance of its forces from securing the Middle East energy resources to securing Asia's economic resources, they will probably informally cede some disputed waters to Taiwan and try to convince the Taiwanese to join their counter-balancing axis of power.
However, China is very bad at making friends in the region. They are already opposed by India, Vietnam, and Japan. Taiwan has strengthening ties to Japan, and a (healthy) mistrust of Communist China. Taiwan will probably continue to play coy, reaping economic and territorial benefits from China's overtures, without Taipei ceding any sovereignty to Beijing. Taiwan will act like the Switzerland of Asia; isolated by oceans rather than mountains. The Taiwanese are in a very good position, and they are only helped by the United States turning it's attention toward containing China.
Even the KMT doesn't trust China; they want reunification on their terms; with themselves represented in a democratic China. Without major political reform in China, both the Blues and the Greens in Taiwan will oppose reunification.
The Taiwanese are right to continue their de-facto statehood while benefiting from economic ties with the mainland. Moves toward independence would only hurt their economy without any real benefit. Moves toward reunification would only hurt their democratic freedom and independence.
Regarding national identity; China has a very long and storied history of which most people of Chinese descent are proud. I think most Taiwanese with family roots on the mainland, within the past 500 years, tend to claim this history as their own. However, the current political situation of the PRC is pretty much universally loathed by the Taiwanese. I believe most Taiwanese still think of themselves as the "real China" or the China that should have been, were it not for the premature death of Sun Yat-Sen. This probably will not change until China institutes democratic reforms.
I agree, it wouldn't benefit China, but China likes to act very belligerent and territorial, and it still sees Taiwan as part of it. Honestly, they should just humble themselves and realise that Taiwan has made a nation/economy of it's own. Being part of the PRC would not benefit Taiwan, even as a SEZ or SAR, nor do I think would it really greatly benefit the PRC.
The polls indicate most Taiwanese want to be seen as Taiwanese. And why not? I'm sure it doesn't mean they're forgetting their Chinese heritage/roots, but like Australians, they know Taiwan, and consider themselves Taiwanese. Of course quite a few don't, but the majority should be able to self-determine.
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