Taiwan appears to have successfully carried out its democratization and developed a Taiwanese identity. This is reflected in how parties other than the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) can be elected to rule. As it stands, if the KMT rejects desinicization, it will have no chance of a comeback.
Culturally, however, Taiwanese find themselves mired in the remaining fragments of the party-state ideology from the Martial Law era: a cultural affinity for China, hostility toward democracy and an obsession with outdated, conservative feudalism.
These are factors that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and other parties must face before Taiwan’s democracy and national identity can be further consolidated. Although the DPP has been voted into power, the nation’s arts and cultural scene remains under the influence of the party-state ideology.
Many DPP politicians also identify with the old culture, having grown up with it. The same holds true for a majority of Taiwanese.
Political transformation must go hand-in-hand with cultural transformation. Otherwise, no amount of effort can bring true awakening to a society.
If the KMT were not so anti-Taiwanese, lacking in “Taiwaneseness” and unfairly disadvantaged, there would be no guarantee that it would never regain power. A reminder of this danger was when Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) in 2009 replaced former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) after having successfully promoted himself as an upright, law-abiding citizen.
Education reforms carried out by former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) helped build the foundation for a new sense of national identity, which has become more rooted among Taiwanese born since the 1990s.
However, this was not a structural change, as the definition of Taiwan’s national identity has differed depending on the party in power.
Following the chaos caused by the KMT during Ma’s presidency, President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration must set things straight.
Today, Taiwanese still lack the vision required to transform Taiwan into a normal, progressive nation. The proportion of classical Chinese in Chinese textbooks is but one aspect of this issue, as it concerns only the form of the literary works, while the content and spirit of the works included in textbooks remains undiscussed. In a world that is continually progressing, Taiwan’s Chinese education is doing little to inspire students.
Poet and essayist Yu Kwang-chung (余光中) passed away at the age of 90 on Dec. 14. Although Yu was known as a leading literary figure, he was also controversial — both loved and hated. The passing of time should permit people to evaluate his contribution more accurately.
Chinese educational, social and cultural circles in Taiwan have long been dominated by similar views on culture, leading to many generations being confused about national identity.
The re-evaluation will not be limited to Yu, but will include the contributions of many other artists and intellectuals.
After World War II, both the winners and the losers had to rise from the ashes and move forward. Having neither won nor lost, Taiwan made the economy a priority, but gave little toward culture under the quasi-colonial rule of the KMT.
Post-war Taiwan had no opportunity to build a Taiwan-centered identity. Under the KMT, the nation was nothing but a military base where the Republic of China (ROC) could be revived.
Although Taiwan has undergone democratization and localization, it has yet to develop a true national culture. The KMT has used it to replace its dead ROC — this is not a political problem, but a cultural problem.
Lee Min-yung is a poet.
Translated by Tu Yu-an
Donald Trump’s return to the White House has offered Taiwan a paradoxical mix of reassurance and risk. Trump’s visceral hostility toward China could reinforce deterrence in the Taiwan Strait. Yet his disdain for alliances and penchant for transactional bargaining threaten to erode what Taiwan needs most: a reliable US commitment. Taiwan’s security depends less on US power than on US reliability, but Trump is undermining the latter. Deterrence without credibility is a hollow shield. Trump’s China policy in his second term has oscillated wildly between confrontation and conciliation. One day, he threatens Beijing with “massive” tariffs and calls China America’s “greatest geopolitical
US President Donald Trump’s seemingly throwaway “Taiwan is Taiwan” statement has been appearing in headlines all over the media. Although it appears to have been made in passing, the comment nevertheless reveals something about Trump’s views and his understanding of Taiwan’s situation. In line with the Taiwan Relations Act, the US and Taiwan enjoy unofficial, but close economic, cultural and national defense ties. They lack official diplomatic relations, but maintain a partnership based on shared democratic values and strategic alignment. Excluding China, Taiwan maintains a level of diplomatic relations, official or otherwise, with many nations worldwide. It can be said that
On Sunday, 13 new urgent care centers (UCC) officially began operations across the six special municipalities. The purpose of the centers — which are open from 8am to midnight on Sundays and national holidays — is to reduce congestion in hospital emergency rooms, especially during the nine-day Lunar New Year holiday next year. It remains to be seen how effective these centers would be. For one, it is difficult for people to judge for themselves whether their condition warrants visiting a major hospital or a UCC — long-term public education and health promotions are necessary. Second, many emergency departments acknowledge
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) made the astonishing assertion during an interview with Germany’s Deutsche Welle, published on Friday last week, that Russian President Vladimir Putin is not a dictator. She also essentially absolved Putin of blame for initiating the war in Ukraine. Commentators have since listed the reasons that Cheng’s assertion was not only absurd, but bordered on dangerous. Her claim is certainly absurd to the extent that there is no need to discuss the substance of it: It would be far more useful to assess what drove her to make the point and stick so
RSS