Goodbye, doublespeak
Seven years, eight months and some days into President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration, Ma is still spinning tales about his accomplishments (failures, actually), most relating to his version of “peace across the [Taiwan] Strait.”
Whether Ma prevaricates in this way because he is naive or sinister, the fact remains that his version of “peace” has meant “surrender, appeasement, obedience, prostration” and a headlong rush by Taipei to Beijing, an entanglement with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) that Ma has steadfastly done everything he can to make ever more inextricable. Even now, in the waning hours of his presidency. Even now, with the world aware of his betrayal, and watching.
However, Ma just loves to talk about rapprochement.
Rapprochement is generally good. Peace is begun in this way, where there is honesty and willingness on both sides. However, in dealing with the PRC, it is essential to realize that in the PRC Official Communist Party Dictionary, “rapprochement” is defined as “one, surrender to China; two, subjugation by China; three, eugenics of subjugated peoples and cultures by China (eg, Tibet).”
It is hard to comprehend Ma’s continuing pathological attachment to one of the world’s most oppressive regimes. What would he expect to happen were Taiwan to become subsumed by China? Parades and flowers, accolades and rejoicing? How could anyone, let alone the president of a democratic country duly elected by the people on two fateful occasions, not see the writing on the wall in Beijing?
Ma is like a lamb shuffling inexorably off to slaughter, mumbling: “Peace, peace,” with Beijing, laughing quietly to itself, whispering: “Come, come, go into the light, all are welcome, all are welcome.”
Now, it is a new day. No more lambs, no more lies, no more ignoring or pretending to ignore Beijing’s true animus. For once, rapprochement has its ordinarily understood meaning outside the bizarre world of the PRC’s and Ma’s doublespeak.
Taiwan is the example. Beijing is the aberration. Time for grownups to recognize that Taiwan is democratic, and words, even those used at the UN and in Washington, should have their ordinary meaning. It is time to extol and protect Taiwan’s triumph, especially in the face of China’s belligerence. That is when real rapprochement will have any chance to progress.
Lee Longhwa
Los Angeles, California
The UK and recognition
When the UK changed the name of its representative office in Taiwan from the British Trade and Cultural Office to the British Office last May, many Taiwanese were thankful. The old name apparently did not adequately describe the services of the office.
Last week, when an online petition for the British parliament titled “Recognise Taiwan as a country” was launched by Lee Chapman, a British citizen, the news was widely reported in media and most Taiwanese were excited. A similar petition has been launched in the US.
Unfortunately, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office has indicated that Taiwan is not an independent country, citing that the Republic of China (ROC) claims in its Constitution that the Chinese mainland belongs to it.
Anyone, including Taiwanese, believing in this claim must be dreaming.
Even Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) once said that the ROC was dead, feeling sorry that he lost the mainland and he himself, his soldiers and followers had to flee to Taiwan. If the UK does not recognize the ROC, why is it necessary to consider the ROC Constitution?
The territory of Taiwan includes only Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu (TPKM) and all of these islands are under Taiwanese jurisdiction. Taiwan has all necessary and sufficient conditions as a country.
“One China” or not is entirely up to Beijing, but it should not include Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu. The so-called “civil war” was between the Chinese Communists and Chinese Nationalists in China — it had nothing to do with Taiwanese except for the shelling of Kinmen afterward. Taiwan has been separated from China for more than 120 years after the Qing Empire abandoned Taiwan and Taiwanese.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office also suggests that the status of Taiwan should be decided by peoples on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. On a fair basis, the future of Taiwan and Taiwanese should be decided by 23 million people living on TPKM. There is no reason to bother 1.376 billion Chinese in making such a decision.
Charles Hong
Columbus, Ohio
Abortions a disgrace
President-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) is right to be concerned at Taiwan’s very low birth rate. A good place to start would be to restrict Taiwan’s appalling abortion rate of half a million abortions a year.
These figures presage the death of any society and for a nation of 23 million are a disgrace.
Gavan Duffy
Australia
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