Ken Young and Kylie Wang (王晴蒂), hosts of a popular daily news podcast, say they feel Taiwanese and not Chinese — a belief shared by many young people in Taiwan.
For younger Taiwanese, growing antagonism as Beijing postures in the Taiwan Strait has cemented a distinct identity rooted in democracy — and not China’s authoritarianism.
“For me, identifying myself as a Taiwanese means all the things that I am proud of,” Young told reporters.
Photo: Sam Yeh, AFP
“We support human rights ... and we support freedom of speech,” said the podcast host, wearing a black baseball cap with “Taiwan” embossed in red across the front.
For decades after 1949, when Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) forces lost the Chinese Civil War to the Chinese Communist Party, people in Taiwan saw their leaders as the true representatives of all of China.
However, as Taiwan moved from an autocracy to democracy in the 1990s, “a strong civic identity” was forged through “the process of democratization,” said Wu Rwei-ren (吳叡人), an expert on Taiwan’s history at Academia Sinica. “It’s not based on race or blood, but ... on the sentiments that we are a country with democracy, freedom, human rights and the rule of law, and we can participate in the political decisionmaking.”
A recent poll released by National Chengchi University shows that less than 3 percent of people in Taiwan identify as Chinese, a record low, down from nearly 26 percent in 1992.
More than 60 percent identify as solely Taiwanese.
“China’s increasingly aggressive policies” have resulted in Taiwanese seeing it as foreign and even as “an enemy country,” Wu said.
Administrative assistant Lin Yu-han, 22, worries that Taiwan could go the way of Hong Kong, where Beijing’s sweeping National Security Law has criminalized dissent and created an environment of fear.
“What has been happening in Hong Kong has made me realize how terrible China is,” Lin said. “I don’t want Hong Kong’s today to become Taiwan’s tomorrow.”
Most Taiwanese reject the possibility of being ruled by Beijing, with less than 8 percent in support of gradual or swift unification.
Tensions have intensified since President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) took office in 2016.
“We want to protect the right to love our democracy, our freedom,” Wang said. “I keep on saying I am Taiwanese because we think that the more people see themselves as Taiwanese and love our country, love our land, that can protect us from being invaded.”
Liljay Chen, 36, fronts a hip hop band that performs at street protests, and runs a business selling Taiwanese independence T-shirts and baseball caps.
“I am Taiwanese, I am not Chinese. Taiwan is a country and China is a country. We are equal,” Chen told reporters at his store.
On display is a red baseball cap reminiscent of the hats worn by former US president Donald Trump. One reads: “Make China lose again.”
Other products sport slogans such as “Taiwan independence” and “Taiwan is not part of China.”
“For young people, the main difference between Taiwan and China is the freedom to create freely and free access to any social media,” Chen said.
However, for some older residents, there is no conflict in being both Taiwanese and Chinese.
“I identify myself as Chinese by blood and culture as my grandparents and parents came from China. I am also Taiwanese since I was born and raised in Taiwan,” said Hu Min-yueh, 56, a pastor and the grandson of a general who arrived with the KMT in 1949.
For many younger people, the historical connections with China do not define them.
“I am Taiwanese and we are a country,” said student Ayden Lai, 17, while taking a break from dance practice with his high-school friends. “I think most young people don’t feel any attachment to China.”
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
PROMOTION: Travelers who want a free stopover must book their flights with designated travel agents, such as Lion Travel, Holiday Tours, Cola Tour and Life Tours Air Canada yesterday said it is offering Taiwanese travelers who are headed to North America free stopovers if they transit though airports in Japan and South Korea. The promotion was launched in response to a potential rise in demand for flights to North America in June and July next year, when the US, Canada and Mexico are scheduled to jointly host the FIFA World Cup, Air Canada said. Air Canada offers services to 13 of the 16 host cities of the tournament’s soccer games, including Toronto and Vancouver; Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey in Mexico; Atlanta, Georgia; Boston; Dallas; Houston;
The US approved the possible sale to Taiwan of fighter jet spare and repair parts for US$330 million, the Pentagon said late yesterday, marking the first such potential transaction since US President Donald Trump took office in January. "The proposed sale will improve the recipient's capability to meet current and future threats by maintaining the operational readiness of the recipient's fleet of F-16, C-130," and other aircraft, the Pentagon said in a statement. Trump previously said that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has told him he would not invade Taiwan while the Republican leader is in office. The announcement of the possible arms
Fung-wong has been downgraded to a tropical storm from a typhoon as it approaches Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. The storm has weakened, but would still pose a major threat to Taiwan and its surrounding waters as it comes closer, CWA forecaster Chu Mei-lin (朱美霖) told reporters. As of 9am, the center of Tropical Storm Fung-wong was 360km southwest of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point, and moving north-northeast to northeast at 12kph. It was carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 108kph and gusts of 137kph, compared with 119kph and 155kph respectively recorded at about 7am
RSS