The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday last week announced that starting in May, Taiwanese residing in Japan could write “Taiwan” in the nationality column of household registry application forms and would no longer be forced to record their nationality as “Chinese.” Meanwhile, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services are upholding their policy of allowing Taiwan-born US citizens to write “Taiwan” on official documents; not “China Taiwan” or other names that do not accord with Taiwan’s reality. These policy changes not only reflect the international community’s respect toward the recognition of Taiwanese identity, but also show the elevation of Taiwan’s global importance.
Taiwan has a democratic electoral system, an independent government body, strong economic development, and unique culture and history. These factors allow Taiwan to have an unignorable existence in the international community. However, Taiwan has long faced political pressure from China, which has forced international organizations and other nations to adopt vague or even restrictive approaches toward Taiwan in formal and official documents. To that end, Japan’s and the US’ policy corrections are a far truer reflection of Taiwan’s reality and a big step in consolidating the nation’s place as a true member of the international community. The changes are by no means a single development, but a reflection of a changing global attitude toward our nation. Over the past few years, many European countries have issued official notices to use the name “Taiwan” and not “Taiwan, China,” “China, Taiwan” or other similar misnomers. Lithuania went further by allowing Taiwan to change the name of its de facto embassy in Vilnius to “Taiwan Representative Office in Lithuania.” These positive trends show that despite China’s use of suppression around the globe, countries are increasingly willing to respect Taiwan’s identity.
National identity has long been a point of discussion in Taiwan. Surveys show that Taiwanese increasingly recognize themselves solely as “Taiwanese,” not “Chinese” or both. That mutually echoes the international community’s trend of recognizing Taiwan. When foreign governments in their official documents acknowledge the name “Taiwan,” it has a massive significance for national recognition and helps establish a stronger internal consensus on identity. The change does not stop at the personal level, but also impacts entrepreneurial and other international exchanges: When Taiwanese businesses register overseas, using the name “Taiwan” would certainly help raise awareness of their brand name. Taiwanese who study or immigrate abroad, or who marry foreigners, can use “Taiwan” on their household registry or official documents. That is an important guarantee of national identity and legal rights.
Many countries in the past took vague stances on Taiwan’s official name to avoid angering China. However, when major world economies such as Japan and the US start respecting the choices of Taiwanese, it has a demonstrable effect on other nations. In the future, countries in Europe, Southeast Asia and perhaps even international organizations might be brought along by this trend and correct their naming methods regarding Taiwan. It is also a clear indication to our government that it should actively seek more global support. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as our consular offices and diplomatic outfits overseas, could use those policy changes to advance and promote Taiwan’s participation in international organizations, and to properly guarantee the rights and identities of Taiwanese overseas.
Edwin Yang is an associate professor at National Taiwan Normal University and chairman of the Central Taiwan Association of University Professors.
Translated by Tim Smith
In the past month, two important developments are poised to equip Taiwan with expanded capabilities to play foreign policy offense in an age where Taiwan’s diplomatic space is seriously constricted by a hegemonic Beijing. Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) led a delegation of Taiwan and US companies to the Philippines to promote trilateral economic cooperation between the three countries. Additionally, in the past two weeks, Taiwan has placed chip export controls on South Africa in an escalating standoff over the placing of its diplomatic mission in Pretoria, causing the South Africans to pause and ask for consultations to resolve
An altercation involving a 73-year-old woman and a younger person broke out on a Taipei MRT train last week, with videos of the incident going viral online, sparking wide discussions about the controversial priority seats and social norms. In the video, the elderly woman, surnamed Tseng (曾), approached a passenger in a priority seat and demanded that she get up, and after she refused, she swung her bag, hitting her on the knees and calves several times. In return, the commuter asked a nearby passenger to hold her bag, stood up and kicked Tseng, causing her to fall backward and
In December 1937, Japanese troops captured Nanjing and unleashed one of the darkest chapters of the 20th century. Over six weeks, hundreds of thousands were slaughtered and women were raped on a scale that still defies comprehension. Across Asia, the Japanese occupation left deep scars. Singapore, Malaya, the Philippines and much of China endured terror, forced labor and massacres. My own grandfather was tortured by the Japanese in Singapore. His wife, traumatized beyond recovery, lived the rest of her life in silence and breakdown. These stories are real, not abstract history. Here is the irony: Mao Zedong (毛澤東) himself once told visiting
When I reminded my 83-year-old mother on Wednesday that it was the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, she replied: “Yes, it was the day when my family was broken.” That answer captures the paradox of modern China. To most Chinese in mainland China, Oct. 1 is a day of pride — a celebration of national strength, prosperity and global stature. However, on a deeper level, it is also a reminder to many of the families shattered, the freedoms extinguished and the lives sacrificed on the road here. Seventy-six years ago, Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong (毛澤東)
RSS