Rectify Taiwan’s name
Who are you? I am not who I am. Taiwanese receive the highest standard of education in the world, but do not know who they are. Names that can be named are not eternal names, they are changeable. If Taiwan wants to be recognized as a sovereign nation it must have a proper name.
On April 16, China’s CCTV labeled Taiwan’s table tennis team as “China Taipei” in the Asian Cup tournament held in Jiangsu, China.
Mainland Affairs Council Minister Katherine Chang (張小月) said China unilaterally changed it from “Chinese Taipei,” adding: “Taiwan is not part of China.”
Awesome; a strong statement to counter the rogue, but that is only lip service, not the fundamental solution.
The fundamental issue is the proper name of Taiwan. What is the difference between “Chinese Taipei” and “China Taipei?” They all mean Taiwan belongs to China or the Chinese. However, that is not true, for Taiwan does not belong to China or the Chinese, but to Taiwan and the Taiwanese.
On Jan. 3, the name of the Japan Interchange Association was changed to the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, and last month the name of the Association of East Asian Relations was changed to the Association of Taiwan-Japan Relations.
However, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan has kept its name; hopefully it will be renamed the “Taiwan Representative Office in Japan.”
Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lee (李大維) said negotiations with Tokyo are ongoing.
It requires the consent of both parties, with the same principal applying to the rest of representative offices, especially in the US.
The real challenge Lee faces is not just a simple name change, but clarifying the legal status of Taiwan.
The government of Taiwan named itself the Republic of China (ROC), claiming a historic territory covering China and Mongolia in its Constitution, but asked its allies to recognize it as the sovereign nation of Taiwan.
Is it not funny dressing in an ROC uniform, but asking the world to call it Taiwan?
The bottom line is: Is Taiwan a sovereign nation? What’s the relation of Taiwan and the ROC? Does the ROC own Taiwan’s sovereignty?
Japan has not had sovereignty over Taiwan since the end of World War II, when it renounced its sovereignty, but did not transfer it: It only named the US Military Government as the principal occupying power.
Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) was authorized by General Order No. 1 as the military power occupying Formosa and the Pescadores to maintain social order after the war, without being given any sovereignty. There is not a single document or international treaty that proves that the ROC owns Taiwan’s sovereignty.
Remember, sovereignty is only owned by government, not any individual.
However, which government legally represents Taiwan today, the ROC? It was kicked out by the People’s Republic of China in 1949, became a government in exile and then in 1972, left the UN due to UN Resolution 2758 and became an illusory government.
We have a dilemma, having the illusory government of the ROC and asking the US or Japan to recognize us as the Republic of Taiwan.
The US established the Insular Bureau in 1900 right after the US-Spanish War with plenty of experience and practice in dealing with insular issues, but Taiwan, not even established as a nation with sovereignty, is asking for official diplomatic recognition.
It is a joke, and is just like a daydream, without taking into account how high the sky is and how deep the Earth.
So, who has resisted and obstructed the name change? Who shall we blame for the tragedy of Taiwan being trapped as the only political orphan in the world? Why can Taiwan not be called Taiwan and host international sports events? The 29th Summer Universiade will be held from Aug. 19 to 30 in Taipei and all Taiwanese will face a big humiliation again.
On Aug. 25, 1960, Taiwanese athletes, including Yang Chuan-kwang (楊傳廣), marched behind an “Under Protest” sign during the opening ceremony of the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome and the International Olympic Committee decided to let Taiwan compete as “Formosa.”
On Aug. 5 last year, Taiwan and the refugee team were the only two teams holding the five-ring Olympic Flag to compete.
History clearly labels Taiwanese as refugees, spoiled by the exiled ROC government and trapped as people without a state for more than 65 years. How long shall we wait to rectify our identity?
Taiwanese need to identify and authorize a government on their behalf to communicate with the US, Japan and the world.
We know the entire international community only recognizes Taiwan and its government as the Taiwanese governing authority. So, check with the ROC government on who it represents, Taiwan or China? If Taiwan, then correct it. It is time for us to rectify our name as a nation.
Look at our neighbors — the Philippines, Palau, Timor-Leste — how they rectified their names and built their nations. God helps those who help themselves. Identify Taiwan from China first, holding the ROC title will never be recognized as Taiwan’s representative by the US and Japan.
As the ROC does not own Taiwan’s sovereignty, the ROC is not Taiwan. Let China be China, Taiwan be Taiwan. Taiwan shall only be represented by the government of Taiwan, not the ROC. Who am I? I am not who I am.
John Hsieh
Hayward, California
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