Comments on: How Taiwan Became Chinese http://www.froginawell.net/china/2007/04/how-taiwan-became-chinese/ The China History Group Blog Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:35:30 -0800 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: Ray http://www.froginawell.net/china/2007/04/how-taiwan-became-chinese/comment-page-1/#comment-41675 Ray Sun, 08 Apr 2007 22:21:26 +0000 http://www.froginawell.net/china/2007/04/how-taiwan-became-chinese/#comment-41675 China has increasing leverage not only over Taiwan, but also US. US currently have almost $9 trillion in debts, as China and Japan is the bankers for US. USA also increasingly depends on China for other geopolitical hot spots like North Korea, etc. This leverage is actually increasing, and accelerating because US is spending obscene money to prosecute this so-called War on Terror, losing money, American lives, political capital around the world, and the moral high ground around the world (just remember how the USA acquired Hawaii). So what does all this mean for Taiwan? The trend is quite obvious. The rest of the world is smart of enough to see the writing on the wall, as more and more countries recognize China’s One China Policy, and cut off diplomatic recognition of Taiwan. Taiwan can claim that it is a sovereign nation, but the reality is, it isn’t what Taiwan claim that matters, but rather, what does the major countries around the world recognize it as, that matters. Ultimately, given the current trends financially and geo-politically, Taiwan can realistically forget de jure independence. It will be lucky just to maintain Status Quo. I’m not saying reunification is necessarily the best solution. But looking at the trend realistically, honestly, and objectively, if there was any meaningful change to the current Status Quo, it’s more like in the direction of reunification, rather than de jure independence. China has increasing leverage not only over Taiwan, but also US. US currently have almost $9 trillion in debts, as China and Japan is the bankers for US. USA also increasingly depends on China for other geopolitical hot spots like North Korea, etc. This leverage is actually increasing, and accelerating because US is spending obscene money to prosecute this so-called War on Terror, losing money, American lives, political capital around the world, and the moral high ground around the world (just remember how the USA acquired Hawaii).

So what does all this mean for Taiwan? The trend is quite obvious. The rest of the world is smart of enough to see the writing on the wall, as more and more countries recognize China’s One China Policy, and cut off diplomatic recognition of Taiwan. Taiwan can claim that it is a sovereign nation, but the reality is, it isn’t what Taiwan claim that matters, but rather, what does the major countries around the world recognize it as, that matters. Ultimately, given the current trends financially and geo-politically, Taiwan can realistically forget de jure independence. It will be lucky just to maintain Status Quo.

I’m not saying reunification is necessarily the best solution. But looking at the trend realistically, honestly, and objectively, if there was any meaningful change to the current Status Quo, it’s more like in the direction of reunification, rather than de jure independence.

]]> By: Alan Baumler http://www.froginawell.net/china/2007/04/how-taiwan-became-chinese/comment-page-1/#comment-41674 Alan Baumler Sun, 08 Apr 2007 22:14:31 +0000 http://www.froginawell.net/china/2007/04/how-taiwan-became-chinese/#comment-41674 Taiwan is of course a lot more culturally Chinese than the San Gabriel Valley. More to the point, Andrade explicitly says that he does not think that his work supports the mainland's claims. "I worried that my title might help hawks in mainland China argue that Taiwan belongs to the People's Republic of China, and I strongly believe that Taiwan belongs to its people and should be whatever they decide. They're doing a great job ruling themselves." Unfortunately for him there seems to be almost nothing you can say that will avoid this type of misunderstanding. Taiwan is of course a lot more culturally Chinese than the San Gabriel Valley. More to the point, Andrade explicitly says that he does not think that his work supports the mainland’s claims.

“I worried that my title might help hawks in mainland China argue that Taiwan belongs to the People’s Republic of China, and I strongly believe that Taiwan belongs to its people and should be whatever they decide. They’re doing a great job ruling themselves.”

Unfortunately for him there seems to be almost nothing you can say that will avoid this type of misunderstanding.

]]> By: Yan Xishan http://www.froginawell.net/china/2007/04/how-taiwan-became-chinese/comment-page-1/#comment-41665 Yan Xishan Sun, 08 Apr 2007 20:55:50 +0000 http://www.froginawell.net/china/2007/04/how-taiwan-became-chinese/#comment-41665 “Taiwan today is culturally Chinese.” So is the San Gabriel Valley, hardly means it should be part of the PRC. “Taiwan today is culturally Chinese.”

So is the San Gabriel Valley, hardly means it should be part of the PRC.

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