Some history you might find interesting.
No Support for Taiwan Independence, Nixon Assured China in 1972
As the denser oceanic tectonic plates slide under the lighter continental plates, the lighter more volatile material that has accumulated on the ocean floor boils up, creating arcs of volcanic islands off the shore of the continent. Off Asia, these island arcs extend from the Kamchatka peninsula through Japan to Taiwan (Formosa). Although caused by the continent, and associated with the continent, these islands are not part of the continent.
From the times of the hunters and gatherers, these islands have had their own indigenous populations. Given the nature of man, it is not surprising that the islanders and the mainlanders have fought. Where the islands are close to the mainland, the mainland has (at least temporarily) dominated the islanders - Sakhalin and Taiwan. At other places along the island arcs, the mainlanders have never succeeded - e.g. Japan (even though it was attempted more than once). In a reversal, Japan succeeded in breaking the mainland's power over Taiwan in 1895, and ten years later the southern half of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. At one point in the twentieth century, Japan held sway over a large part of the mainland, but it's control was ephemeral.
Prior to Japan, the history of Taiwan and China was more complex than most realize - sometimes independent, often not. Many try to compare the Taiwan situation with that of Hong Kong. But they aren't very similar. Hong Kong was an artifact of British Imperialism, and was never seen as permanent by anyone. Taiwan has had a very different history.
Some four decades ago, as a then young man, it was my good fortune to have a Taiwanese friend, who was of a similar age. We discussed the cultural dichotomy that existed between the native Taiwanese and the mainlanders that had immigrated with Chiang when Mao expelled him in '49. The Chiang clique had all of the political power, and clung to the illusion that some day they would return to power on the mainland. Hence, for these mainlanders there was no question about the one-China policy. This was at a time when Quemoy and Matsu were in the news. These two islands close to the mainland were under Chaing's control, but frequently shelled. All part of who would control the one-China.
But my native born Taiwanese friend had a very different perspective. His father only spoke Japanese. While he spoke flawless Chinese, he felt no affinity toward the mainland. Moreover, he maintained that his views were widely shared by other native Taiwanese of his generation. He said that as long as the mainlanders maintained political control, I should expect the one-China policy to continue. But once the native Taiwanese gained control (and he believed that was only a matter of time), a change in policy would be forthcoming.
Personally, I would like to see the people in Taiwan make the decision, not those in Beijing.
JMO
lurqer |
