Nearly half a century separates the Protect the Diaoyutai Islands Movement and the present movement to assert the nation’s sovereignty over Itu Aba Island, (Taiping Island, 太平島). There is a clear divergence between the origins of each of these movements, their truthfulness and the extent to which they enjoy public support, which demonstrates an increased maturity of judgement among the public.
When the dispute over the Diaoyutais (釣魚台) — known as the Senkakus in Japan — originally arose, the islands were not under Taiwan’s control, nor were they under Chinese control. Nevertheless, the islands’ sovereignty was contested by both countries. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), accusing China of instigating leftist disturbances overseas, tried to use nationalism to create a united front among Taiwanese students both at home and abroad. However, this created problems for the KMT, both internationally and domestically.
The Republic of China (ROC) — which has never controlled the Diaoyutais — did not object when the islands were handed over to US trusteeship at the end of World War II. It was only when the islands were about to be returned to Japan, and following leftist demonstrations, that the ROC began to protest.
The China Youth Corps took control of limited domestic demonstrations, while members of the Overseas Affairs Bureau contended with Chinese Communist Party factions abroad. Officials negotiated with the US and asked for a low-key response to avoid creating a large disturbance.
The main difference between the Diaoyutai and Itu Aba movements is between authoritarianism and control of information on the one hand, and democracy and transparency on the other.
The student supporters of the Protect the Diaoyutai Movement were not in full possession of the facts, having been whipped into a frenzy by ROC officials. At rallies, the students shouted for the islands’ sovereignty to be upheld, but they had no means of setting foot on them, legislators did not dare to grandstand over the issue and even the angry young people did not dare to call on Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) to visit the islands and declare sovereignty.
There are no hot-headed young people taking part in today’s Itu Aba protection movement, just a collection of politicians whose delirious ravings are putting them at risk of high blood pressure. In particular, it is the KMT politicians who lost power in January’s presidential and legislative elections — and who are now being stripped of their ill-gotten assets — who are clamoring the loudest.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague’s verdict on the South China Sea dispute between China and the Philippines did not touch on the issue of Itu Aba’s sovereignty and Taiwanese students have not been duped by their government this time. All the KMT politicians can do is create a hullabaloo among themselves.
The KMT’s performance has failed to draw a large audience. The party is trying to persuade President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and Minister of National Defense Feng Shih-kuan (馮世寬) to play along with their childish game by demanding that they take part in a wholly unnecessary visit to Itu Aba to publicly declare sovereignty over it. Their goal is to divert the government’s attention and change the political narrative into a united front in support of China’s nationalist, anti-US stance.
The era when the KMT was able to control the flow of information and distract the public with red herrings is well and truly over. The KMT’s trickery over Itu Aba is doomed to failure, and it will do nothing to protect the party’s ill-gotten assets or alter the younger generation’s patriotism and identification with Taiwan.
James Wang is a media commentator.
Translated by Edward Jones
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