Taiwan, not Chinese Taipei
There is a saying in Taiwan: If you do not speak, no one will treat you as a fool, but when you speak improperly, you create a tonne of problems.
“Chinese Taipei” means the Chinese exile government in Taipei. It is exactly the same concept as the “one China” principle that WHO Director-General Margaret Chan (陳馮富珍) quoted in her invitation to former minister of health and welfare Chiang Been-huang (蔣丙煌) for the 69th World Health Assembly (WHA).
On Wednesday, Minister of Health and Welfare Lin Tzou-yien (林奏延), who attended the conference, called on the WHO and its member states to support the 23 million citizens of “Chinese Taipei” by facilitating their robust participation in WHA-related meetings and activities.
“Then no one will be left behind,” he said.
Lin’s five-minute speech mentioning “Chinese Taipei” without mentioning Taiwan at all not only fully endorsed Chan’s recalling of UN Resolution 2758 that saw Chiang Kai-shek’s (蔣介石) representatives expelled from the UN in 1971, but also voluntarily trapped 23 million Taiwanese into “one China” purgatory. What a shame.
Lin returned to Taipei and explained that his speech followed the instructions of the National Security Council and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Oh, that is even worse. It tells us the new Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government took Taiwan as part of the Republic of China (ROC) and accepted the ROC as an exiled Chinese government named “Chinese Taipei.”
Premier Lin Chuan (林全) said that it was “unsatisfactory, but acceptable.”
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said that “no one should be left behind” was the crucial theme of this year’s WHA, which “reflects the necessity of our participation. Taiwan must never be absent from the global medical system.”
Yes, Taiwan must be part of the global system, but why did the DPP/ROC voluntarily call it “Chinese Taipei” without mentioning Taiwan?
The former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) administration accepted the “one China” principle, because they are a Chinese political party that has nothing to do with Taiwan. Now the DPP government has openly admitted that 23 million Taiwanese are of “Chinese Taipei,” automatically offering Taiwan as a part of China. This is untrue and unacceptable.
On Tuesday, the current and five former directors of the American Institute in Taiwan — Kin Moy, Christopher Marut, William Stanton, Stephen Young, Douglas Paal and Raymond Burghardt — jointly sent a clear message to encourage Taiwanese, saying: “We represent the American people. The democratic achievements of the people of Taiwan warrants our most sincere congratulations regarding the friendship between the US and Taiwan, which in the past few decades grew healthy and strong. Praise US-Taiwan relations.”
Taiwan is Taiwan, not Chinese Taipei. While Lin took to the podium and called Taiwan “Chinese Taipei,” it made no difference that we accused former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) of insisting on the “1992 consensus with one China, respective interpretations” while meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平).
Tsai used to say an eight-second error could ruin eight years of credit; that is exactly right. Her government accepting the label of “Chinese Taipei” without protest is using up the credit won in the presidential election. Tsai’s honeymoon is over. From now on, Taiwanese have to open their eyes and ears and supervise how close the DPP/ROC will drive Taiwanese to China.
John Hsieh
Hayward, California
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