Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has one Chinese dream and dissident Liu Xiaobo (劉曉波), who died last month, had another, but Taiwan’s politicians do not seem to have a Taiwanese dream. US President Donald Trump is putting his “America first” slogan into practice, but Taiwanese politicians are not bold enough to put Taiwan first.
As if sleepwalking, they avoid challenging the Chinese dream for fear of being labeled as troublemakers. Consequently, in Taiwan’s marketplace of ideas, the “Chinese dream” has become a proper noun, but the “Taiwanese dream” has not. In the Chinese dream, Taiwan is not a sovereign nation, and Taiwanese politicians try to avoid highlighting “Taiwan” as a national title.
With the Taipei Universiade scheduled to start on Saturday, a controversy last week broke out over the wording of the English-language guide to the Games, which contained odd statements such as “Chinese Taipei is long and narrow that lies north to south.”
Under pressure from the public, the Taipei Universiade Organizing Committee has reprinted the guide, changing “Chinese Taipei” to “Taiwan” where it appears as a geographical term.
The Taipei City Government said that as the host nation, when Taiwanese participate in sporting events, they will of course do so under the name “Chinese Taipei,” but it has also said that “Taiwan” should be used in geographical contexts.
At first glance, this distinction seems to be reasonable and acceptable to everyone, but in fact it is precisely the distinction that China wants to be made: Where the concept of a nation is concerned, Taiwan can only use “Chinese Taipei,” which really means “China’s Taipei” and implies that Taiwan belongs to “one China,” while “Taiwan” can only be used in reference to “that island.”
This is China’s idea of political correctness. When it comes to national titles, “Taiwan” and “the Republic of China” are both forbidden.
Is Taiwan really just a geographical term? Of course not — it is a geographical name, of course, but it is also the name of a nation.
One precedent for this is the US’ Taiwan Relations Act. The US sells Taiwan defensive arms, concerns itself with Taiwan’s security and human rights and has on occasion sent carrier battle groups to deter Chinese military aggression.
After winning the US presidential election, Trump accepted a congratulatory telephone call from President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), whom he called “the President of Taiwan.” No such thing could happen if “Taiwan” were a purely geographical name.
Taiwan has a democratically elected president and a government that works on democratic principles. Citizens of other nations can only enter or leave Taiwan with the approval of Taiwanese authorities. If “Taiwan” were a purely geographical name, would China treat the midway line of the Taiwan Strait as a line that cannot be crossed?
The sad thing is that, while the red lines that Beijing draws for Taiwan draw increasingly numerous protestations on Taiwan’s behalf from the international community, Taiwan’s own politicians seem to be gradually internalizing Beijing’s political correctness.
Government power has passed between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Democratic Progressive Party, while Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) has his own ideas. They can flip and swing like the Monkey King, but when their feet touch the ground, it is still “Chinese Taipei.”
In these politicians’ view, writing a new constitution or amending the existing one would be a dangerous road to take. The idea of returning to or joining the UN is also taboo for them, and they do all they can to put off amending the “birdcage” Referendum Act (公投法).
There is a widespread desire among the public to use democratic means to turn Taiwan into a normal country, but politicians of all parties and factions think that is “mission impossible.” Through them, China is indirectly, but effectively stifling the will of Taiwanese.
Taiwan’s democracy has reached the point where politicians are becoming estranged from the public’s will. This abnormal development should be taken as a warning sign.
It seems as if there is no Taiwanese dream in the minds of many political figures. They might refute the Chinese dream and the idea that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to “one China,” but they still do not dare have a Taiwanese dream. They do not dare to go beyond Taiwan being a geographical name or to engage in national imagination and action.
The Taiwan Relations Act is what the US imagines for Taiwan, while the “Anti-Secession” Law is what China imagines for it, but what kinds of things do Taiwanese politicians imagine?
“One China, different interpretations,” “one China, same interpretation,” “the Republic of China,” “Chinese Taipei,” “the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are one family.” What all these notions have in common is that even if they are not the Chinese dream, they are still on the verge of that dream. None of them is a Taiwanese dream.
As politicians react with collective restraint, it is of course hard for them to maintain a subjective mindset that puts Taiwan first. Be it in politics, economics, foreign relations, culture, education or participation in international affairs, they are all stuck in a framework of dependency where subjectiveness is missing.
The world’s major powers made some compromises about Taiwan’s status and future. However, that was when Taiwanese could not freely express their will. Since then the legislature has become fully electable, direct presidential elections have been held and there have been three transitions of government power.
In the process, mainstream public opinion has been clearly demonstrated. Taiwan today is moving toward being a normal country, and China is almost the only thing that stands in its way.
In pursuing their own vision, Taiwanese should rely on their own strengths, helping themselves and aiding others. Particularly, they should have no illusions about goodwill from a hostile nation.
As for politicians, they are entrusted with governing the nation. That means more than diligently promoting national construction and augmenting overall national strength.
To reach the ultimate aim of Taiwan deciding its own fate, Taiwanese will need strategies and actions that outsmart their opponents. When the wind of international strategy blows in new directions, the nation must trim its sails accordingly. If Taiwanese can do that, they will be able to steer a firm course toward making the Taiwanese dream a reality.
Translated by Julian Clegg
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