'Is Taiwan a part of China', the standard make or break question that a lot of Han Chinese in the People's Republic of China ask the foreigner. I gave the simple diplomatic answer to a young Communist Party member who asked. I said 'yes, but it's not part of the People's Republic, it's part of the Republic of China, A.K.A Taiwan. This works as the slogan '1 Nation, 2 systems' appears in huge skyscraper high letters in Xiamen, across the Baring Straights from a Taiwanese controlled island and elsewhere. It satisfies the nationalism, but accepts that the 'nation' is not unified in practice.
My response was quite unfair on the indigenous people of the island of Taiwan who suffered the 'invasion' of the island by Nationalist Republic of China forces in 1945 and the relocation of their government following defeat to Mao's Communist People's Liberation Army in 1949. The Republic of China felt that they were rightful rulers of the 'Chinese' nation and this contention was not removed from the constitution of the Republic of China until 1971. Many Han Chinese in Taiwan still feel part of a greater nation in spite of the disparate regimes. For those that don't my response was unfair to them too.
I don't know what the indigenous Taiwanese think, and wonder if they have ever been asked. It is cowardly of me to ignore them in the grand geo-political debates in which those of us with the luxury to do so indulge. But in the interests of good relations I did.
I ignore many minorities in this way.
My response was quite unfair on the indigenous people of the island of Taiwan who suffered the 'invasion' of the island by Nationalist Republic of China forces in 1945 and the relocation of their government following defeat to Mao's Communist People's Liberation Army in 1949. The Republic of China felt that they were rightful rulers of the 'Chinese' nation and this contention was not removed from the constitution of the Republic of China until 1971. Many Han Chinese in Taiwan still feel part of a greater nation in spite of the disparate regimes. For those that don't my response was unfair to them too.
I don't know what the indigenous Taiwanese think, and wonder if they have ever been asked. It is cowardly of me to ignore them in the grand geo-political debates in which those of us with the luxury to do so indulge. But in the interests of good relations I did.
I ignore many minorities in this way.
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