Reclaiming Taiwan
Your editorial description of Taiwan as an existing entity and the Republic of China (ROC) as an abstract idea that has been kept on life support for far too long is well to the point (“For the love of Taiwan, get it right,” Aug. 24, page 8).
According to Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) and common sense, the ROC perished when it lost the mainland in 1949. Legally, the ROC was only left with Kinmen and Matsu. Taiwan is not a territory of the ROC or the People’s Republic of China (PRC) according to the San Francisco Peace Treaty of 1951 and the Taipei Treaty of 1952.
Taiwan and the ROC are mismatched, and a mismatched couple seldom find happiness with each other. When the ROC was founded in 1911, Taiwan was not part of its territory. When the ROC was defeated by Chinese Communists, Taiwan served as a shelter for what remained of the ROC.
A shelter never becomes the territory of a government-in-exile. Under the ROC’s discriminatory and totalitarian rule, Taiwanese were treated as second-class citizens, massacred in the 228 Incident, suffered under the White Terror and endured 38 years of Martial Law — the longest in world history. Taiwan is now under the constant threat of PRC missiles and submarines, but the ROC cannot do anything.
With Taiwan still wearing the mask of the ROC and the PRC laying claim to the title of China, most of the world does not recognize Taiwan. That leaves Taiwan as the only major economy that is not recognized by the US, Japan, China, the EU, the UN and many other countries and organizations.
Your editorial suggests that Taiwanese should ask Ma and his followers whether they love Taiwan or the ROC. They “love” Taiwan only during elections. The truth is that they don’t really love Taiwan or the ROC at all. What Taiwanese should do is not vote for Ma and his followers in the five special municipal elections, the presidential election and the legislative election. Only through elections can Taiwanese reclaim Taiwan.
CHARLES HONG
Columbus, Ohio
Using English with care
I recently saw a news report on a competition to find a new English slogan for the National Immigration Agency (NIA). I was astounded to read that a panel of judges had decided on a fifth-grade student’s slogan, “NIA care what you care.”
I couldn’t find a report on this in the Taipei Times, but I felt compelled to contact the English-language press to complain that this slogan makes no sense. Indeed, it is quite obvious that the panel of judges who chose the winning slogan did not include a single native English speaker.
It is an embarrassment to Taiwan that the NIA — the first point of contact for foreigners who plan to visit or live in Taiwan — has adopted such a slogan.
This sort of thing should never happen. The use of English by any government agency should be thoroughly checked and approved before being adopted — particularly in such a high-profile competition, reported on the national news.
As part of Taiwan’s English-language press, I am sure many of your staff would agree with me that this slogan should be changed immediately to prevent any further damage to Taiwan’s international reputation in terms of English language ability.
ANDREW CHARD
Hsinchu
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