Taiwan or ROC?
July 7, 2014, marked a busy day for the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the Republic of China (ROC) and Taiwan.
In the PRC, Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) commemorated the 77th anniversary of the Marco Polo Bridge incident, which started the Second Sino-Japanese War.
Former ROC premier Hau Pei-tsun (郝柏村) sang the PRC’s national anthem, March of the Volunteers, on the same day in Beijing, but he challenged China’s belief that the communists defeated Japan in the war, saying the Nationalist forces led by Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) were responsible.
In Taipei, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) repeated his claim of sovereignty over the Senkaku/Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台).
While Chinese from both sides of the Taiwan Strait were arguing over the credit of the World War II victory, a group of Taiwanese led by Taiwan Government (台灣政府) chairman Nieco Tsai (蔡明法) went to the old provincial office in Jhongsing New Village (中興新村), occupied the former provincial building and sat in the governor’s office. Although Nieco and his group were forced to leave after seven hours of occupation, the group has been noticed around the island.
Who is Nieco Tsai and what is the Taiwan Government? Is the government of the ROC also known as the Taiwan government? Is there a Taiwan nation? How come there is a Taiwan nation without any declaration of Taiwan independence? The Taiwan issue and Taiwan sovereignty are being discussed in the worldwide Taiwanese community.
Tsai is a Taiwanese American who lives in Los Angeles. He is the chairman of the Taiwan Government which was established on April 25 last year, soon after their announcement at the National Press Club in Washington.
The group believes Taiwan is still under the military occupation of the US under the San Francisco Peace Treaty.
The ROC is an exiled government acting as the governing authority specified by the Taiwan Relations Act, Section 15-2. The ROC does not have sovereignty over Taiwan.
Tsai and his group returned to the village the next day, but could not enter again because they were blocked. Even though the group was evicted at the first attempt, they said: “We are the real owner of this island; we shall return and evict the exiled government of the ROC.”
It is a good question to all Taiwanese: What is the sovereignty status of Taiwan? Do President Ma and his ROC exiled government have sovereignty over Taiwan? How come Taiwan could not be greeted as the ROC at the World Games held in Taiwan? How come the ROC flag could not be exhibited in Taiwan wherever China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) Minister Zhang Zhijun (張志軍) visited?
Inside your own house, you are not in charge. That means you do not have sovereignty.
Why do Taiwanese allow a beggar to evict the temple master? Who is the real owner of Taiwan?
We believe Taiwan’s status will be easily and quickly settled once all Taiwanese realize who the real sovereign of Taiwan is.
If there is a choice of nation, which one do you choose: Taiwan or ROC?
John Hsieh
Hayward, California
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
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (李顯龍) decision to step down after 19 years and hand power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong (黃循財), on May 15 was expected — though, perhaps, not so soon. Most political analysts had been eyeing an end-of-year handover, to ensure more time for Wong to study and shadow the role, ahead of general elections that must be called by November next year. Wong — who is currently both deputy prime minister and minister of finance — would need a combination of fresh ideas, wisdom and experience as he writes the nation’s next chapter. The world that
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.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, people have been asking if Taiwan is the next Ukraine. At a G7 meeting of national leaders in January, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida warned that Taiwan “could be the next Ukraine” if Chinese aggression is not checked. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said that if Russia is not defeated, then “today, it’s Ukraine, tomorrow it can be Taiwan.” China does not like this rhetoric. Its diplomats ask people to stop saying “Ukraine today, Taiwan tomorrow.” However, the rhetoric and stated ambition of Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on Taiwan shows strong parallels with