Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), a member of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), has been playing games. Wang invited Democratic Progressive Party Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to attend next month’s Double Ten National Day celebrations.
KMT politicians — the self-styled “rightful heirs to the Chinese throne” — were probably feeling rather pleased with themselves, having put “Little Tsai” on the spot, but they failed to foresee the shifting sands of Taiwanese politics. Tsai enthusiastically accepted the invitation and in doing so, dramatically exposed the hypocrisy of the hawkish KMT mob.
At the time of the Chinese Wuchang Uprising and the subsequent Xinhai Revolution in 1911, Taiwan did not belong to the Qing Dynasty, nor did it belong to the Qing Dynasty’s successor, the Republic of China (ROC).
Double Ten National Day celebrations were brought to Taiwan by the KMT after they lost the Chinese Civil War and were exiled. The KMT used textbooks and propaganda to force Taiwanese to accept the new national day, something that the public never really took to.
Society moves with the times. The power of those who once relied on the outdated construct of the Double Ten National Day and the ROC national flag for survival is already declining, while old slogans such as “retake the mainland” and “legitimate rulers of China” are now openly mocked.
In 1971, Chiang Kai-shek’s (蔣介石) representatives were expelled from the UN and the People’s Republic of China was recognized as the official government of China.
The remnants of the KMT, still stuck in the mind-set of the Chinese Civil War, clung for dear life to the model of a so-called “one China” and maintained that they are its rightful rulers.
However, the young generation, who has stepped out into the world and faced Beijing’s suppression, has recognized that Taiwan and China are two separate countries. As for Double Ten National Day and the ROC flag, they take the pragmatic view that these are simply symbolic representations of their nation.
When abroad, people from the young generation need a national symbol to show where they come from and give them a feeling of pride. On the other hand, older people are strongly conscious of their Taiwanese identity and resent a national day and flag that were introduced from abroad.
However, the new practical definition of these two symbols of national identity has managed to break through the subtle distinctions of separate Taiwanese and Chinese national days and national flags. On either side of the Taiwan Strait, the national days, national flags, constitutions, governments, passports, people and territories are all different. If this is not the definition of two separate nations, then what is?
The KMT has harshly confiscated Taiwan’s national flag at the most crucial moments — during ceremonies to welcome Chinese officials visiting the nation.
During the administration of former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), they refused to take part in Double Ten National Day celebrations or, alternatively, created disturbance during the commemorations.
They could not have predicted that Tsai would seize the ball from the KMT’s court. Tsai has caused panic within the KMT and Wang will surely think before attempting to play tricks and ambush his opponent again.
James Wang is a media commentator.
Translated by Edward Jones
As strategic tensions escalate across the vast Indo-Pacific region, Taiwan has emerged as more than a potential flashpoint. It is the fulcrum upon which the credibility of the evolving American-led strategy of integrated deterrence now rests. How the US and regional powers like Japan respond to Taiwan’s defense, and how credible the deterrent against Chinese aggression proves to be, will profoundly shape the Indo-Pacific security architecture for years to come. A successful defense of Taiwan through strengthened deterrence in the Indo-Pacific would enhance the credibility of the US-led alliance system and underpin America’s global preeminence, while a failure of integrated deterrence would
It is being said every second day: The ongoing recall campaign in Taiwan — where citizens are trying to collect enough signatures to trigger re-elections for a number of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators — is orchestrated by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), or even President William Lai (賴清德) himself. The KMT makes the claim, and foreign media and analysts repeat it. However, they never show any proof — because there is not any. It is alarming how easily academics, journalists and experts toss around claims that amount to accusing a democratic government of conspiracy — without a shred of evidence. These
US President Donald Trump created some consternation in Taiwan last week when he told a news conference that a successful trade deal with China would help with “unification.” Although the People’s Republic of China has never ruled Taiwan, Trump’s language struck a raw nerve in Taiwan given his open siding with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression seeking to “reunify” Ukraine and Russia. On earlier occasions, Trump has criticized Taiwan for “stealing” the US’ chip industry and for relying too much on the US for defense, ominously presaging a weakening of US support for Taiwan. However, further examination of Trump’s remarks in
Taiwan is confronting escalating threats from its behemoth neighbor. Last month, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army conducted live-fire drills in the East China Sea, practicing blockades and precision strikes on simulated targets, while its escalating cyberattacks targeting government, financial and telecommunication systems threaten to disrupt Taiwan’s digital infrastructure. The mounting geopolitical pressure underscores Taiwan’s need to strengthen its defense capabilities to deter possible aggression and improve civilian preparedness. The consequences of inadequate preparation have been made all too clear by the tragic situation in Ukraine. Taiwan can build on its successful COVID-19 response, marked by effective planning and execution, to enhance
RSS