Over the past few weeks, a number of people have contributed informative articles on the 228 Incident and its ramifications on Taiwanese society.
One subject of interest for me is how the Japanese colonial period is viewed compared with rule under the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) before and after the 228 Incident.
In his latest piece, Jerome Keating argues that "Taiwan's experience under Chiang and the KMT proved far worse than that under a colonizing Japan" ("Taiwan and its past: CKS must go, " March 18, page 8).
Although I have heard similar opinions expressed by others in Taiwan, I do, however, believe it is a subjective viewpoint based on Taiwan's unique experience during World War II.
Why do many Taiwanese believe the Japanese were far better than the KMT? Is it because of the 228 Incident and the subsequent White Terror?
These events do explain why people have a negative impression of the KMT, but why are the Japanese judged more favorably?
Maybe this attitude is based on a crucial event that did not happen. If you look at a map of the Pacific campaigns during World War II, it is difficult to understand why Taiwan was not invaded as the Allies prepared for the invasion of Japan.
What would have happened if Taiwan had been invaded? Many Taiwanese lives would surely have been lost during the invasion.
The Allied invasion of the Philippines provides a good example of what could have happened in Taiwan.
The invasion was bitterly contested by the Japanese troops stationed there and an estimated 1 million people died in related fighting. During the Battle of Manila from Feb. 3, 1945, to March 3, 1945, the city was completely devastated and 100,000 Filipinos lost their lives in this single battle.
Historians believe that Taiwan was a prime target for invasion, but military planners were overruled by US General Douglas MacArthur, who wanted to avenge his early defeat in the Philippines.
As a result of the fierce fighting in the Philippines, the Allies decided to skip Taiwan and directly invaded Okinawa, which also suffered massive loss of life.
Compared with other places in Asia, Taiwan did not experience widespread destruction and high civilian casualties during the war.
Although we can only speculate how this has affected how Taiwanese view the Japanese colonial period, discussing Taiwanese history in the context of regional events does help people to understand that the US military decision not to invade Taiwan certainly influenced post-war attitudes toward Japan and even China.
William Hoyle
Taichung
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.
As Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu’s party won by a landslide in Sunday’s parliamentary election, it is a good time to take another look at recent developments in the Maldivian foreign policy. While Muizzu has been promoting his “Maldives First” policy, the agenda seems to have lost sight of a number of factors. Contemporary Maldivian policy serves as a stark illustration of how a blend of missteps in public posturing, populist agendas and inattentive leadership can lead to diplomatic setbacks and damage a country’s long-term foreign policy priorities. Over the past few months, Maldivian foreign policy has entangled itself in playing
A group of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers led by the party’s legislative caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (?) are to visit Beijing for four days this week, but some have questioned the timing and purpose of the visit, which demonstrates the KMT caucus’ increasing arrogance. Fu on Wednesday last week confirmed that following an invitation by Beijing, he would lead a group of lawmakers to China from Thursday to Sunday to discuss tourism and agricultural exports, but he refused to say whether they would meet with Chinese officials. That the visit is taking place during the legislative session and in the aftermath