From the heart
China is still not a democratic regime and has not built up an electoral system to supervise its government's policies and decision making. Also, Beijing's messages at home and abroad are always different, and its continued propaganda and war games have made people in Taiwan afraid to develop too close a relationship with the other side of the Strait too quickly.
With all my heart, I would like to say that we Taiwanese are eager for more respect, which cannot be replaced by sympathy. We search for our own identity, which is not necessarily linked with unification or independence. We want to be treated equally as a member of the global community, to share and to contribute to the world, but not to be treated in a discriminatory or special manner.
Last but not least, we want to live in an environment without fear, which doesn't mean that we are not prepared to face a military confrontation, specifically the threat of an attack by Chinese forces.
Bernard Sheng
TAIPEI
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