There is no question about Taiwan’s status today. Only an authoritarian regime’s denial of a reality its ideology finds inconvenient.
[Op-ed by Roy Chun Lee, Taiwan’s Ambassador to the EU and Belgium.]
[…]
Over the past 130 years, the people of Taiwan have cultivated a unique identity with a multicultural heritage, drawing not only from Chinese influences but also from the Dutch, Spanish, Japanese, and Taiwan’s indigenous peoples, who are widely regarded to be the origin of all Austronesian cultures. Like the identity-building process of most European countries, Taiwan’s journey has been a mixture of darkness and light, suffering and joy, struggle and triumph.
Yet these elements are exactly what make the Taiwanese identity unique and render it a special, like-minded partner to Europe and the world, with or without formal diplomatic recognition.
[…]
Unfortunately, instead of applauding Taiwan, the PRC has continually employed every available method to deny the existence of Taiwan. One of the most frequently used tools is to distort the meaning of UN Resolution 2758, arguing that the Resolution reflects a global consensus that Taiwan is part of the PRC.
This is fake news. The following is a direct quotation from a speech delivered by European Commissioner Nicolas Schmit, on behalf of EU High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell in October 2024: “United Nations Resolution 2758 is very short - only 150 words. And among those 150 words, the word ‘Taiwan’ does not appear. The resolution switched representation in the United Nations from the ‘representatives of Chiang Kai-shek’ to the ‘representatives of the Government of the People’s Republic of China’”.
In short, Resolution 2758 provides no legal basis for the PRC to claim ownership of Taiwan or to deny the fact that Taiwan has existed as a sovereign, independent, and meaningful country for the last 75 years.
[…]
Europe can help deter coercion in the Taiwan Strait.
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First, face the facts: Taiwan is a democracy whose sovereignty is exercised and enjoyed every day by its 23 million people. No amount of propaganda can erase that reality.
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Second, expose and resist coercion: Call out and reject the PRC’s disinformation campaigns, economic blackmail, and military intimidation whenever and wherever they appear.
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And third, invest in partnership: Expand trade, technology, security dialogues, and cultural exchanges with Taiwan, so that shared values can become shared resilience.
[…]
They speak mandarin. Taiwan of course has a unique culture, just like Sichuan. Still Sichuan is PRC, so will be Taiwan again. After all, the Kuomintang fled to Taiwan aftet defeat. The Kuomintang were chinese.
There are Russian speaking communities around the world - so the world must all be Russia.
We speak Mandarin. So did Japan before they became an independent country. So did South Korea. So your argument is flawed. In 1997, we voted in our first president. Something Sichuan didn’t do. Since then, the people of Taiwan decided the type of government we wanted. Something Sichuan didn’t do. We created a healthcare system that is for the people. Something Sichuan didn’t do.
In 2024, there was a 72% voter turn out. We are currently recalling a handful of KMT lawmakers to switch them into the DPP.
The Taiwanese government is the original China. The PRC is just a bunch of rebels that took over the land where China used to occupy and didn’t change the name. You guys went from one dictator (Chiang Kai-shek,) to another director (Xi Ping).
Don’t fucking tell them that!
Wha-ha-ha? If you mean their archaic dead Chinese variant that was mostly used for poetry and feudal prestigious stuff, it may not be a good comparison to mandarin as the main language. Actually many of the kanji pronunciations are how it would sound, or even whole phrases. I speak neither of the three (third being Japanese), just repeating what my sister would say (she studied lost of languages).
I think the situation is similar to Japan, except much of their vocabulary is Chinese in origin. But, ahem, the variant is too a very specific dead idiom.
But not in what you say. Their argument is flawed in the sense that one country is somehow obligated to all be under one state.
(Has a bit of reminiscence with Kremlin goblins thinking that every Russian-speaking area is their slaves and belongs to them.)
No, Chinese Characters was written language of Japan before Japan even had a written language. Chinese was first written and used in Japan from the 4th AD up till the 9th AD when Japan officially created their own written language. As a matter of fact, most of China wasn’t even a united country during that time.
Once again, you’re wrong. Korea also used Chinese characters from the 4th Century till the middle of the 1400s. Fun fact, the Chinese language was used for 1100+ years and modern korean was used for around 500 years.
My argument is fine
No, not at all. This is is like saying most countries speak Latin because they use Roman letters.
The analogy is incorrect, because Chinese logograms actually denote concepts, and can be called a language by themselves. Like sign languages, or signal sets.
No. Japanese people cannot read Chinese, and vice versa, any better than Europeans can read each others languages by guessing from similar-looking words. Usually worse because Chinese and Japanese are whole different language families, less related than most European languages. Sure, Banqiao and Itabashi cities both have the same “wood bridge” name written down, and trivial things like that, but the claim I was responding to was that using Chinese characters meant that Japanese and Koreans spoke Chinese, (the parent claimant’s actual words a couple of messages before), which is ludicrous.
Their nobility indeed used Chinese language at some point, and spoke it, and that’s how both have the legacy of using Chinese characters.
sure, true. like the roman empire and roman catholic church are why so many places use latin’s letters today. due to printing decisions from a tiny ruling class only, not the general population actually speaking those languages. again, using the character set does not mean languages are mutually intelligible, heck look at modern vietnamese all in roman letters.
earlier, weren’t you, correctly, pushing back against jaschen306’s overblown claim that this means “japan and korea spoke chinese”, when we both know it was a second language for the elite class only?
The way I meant it was that using Chinese logograms is not the same as using Chinese language, because a few (from European point of view) different languages are written down using them, some even of other language families.
So in case of Japan and Korea two spinoffs of like 1600 years old formal variant of Chinese language were used.
Which is not the same as Taiwan literally speaking the kinda same language.
I do not disagree with you. I simply see Chinas military power and the desire to take over Taiwan, that I am very certain it will happen and the world cannot stop it.
If you’re Chinese, you can stop it. You didn’t pick your government. Fight for your right to vote for your government.
Do what you did in 1949 when your people fought CKS. But fight for freedom.
That’s a very particular idea of politics, one usually existing in nations where “fighting for freedom” is not necessary or necessary but ignored.
A man can be killed. Many men can be killed. That process has expenses, which can be calculated.
At the same time rapidly dropping population often leads to democratization, and China has shot itself in the foot with the one child policy.
The ROI is not United Kingdom.
Austria is not Germany.
Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark are separate countries;
as are Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka;
as are a number of Arab-speaking countries;
and ROC is not PRC.
The PRC is a Borg ship trying to assimilate the ROC, but the ROC has resisted assimilation for over 75 years.
75 yeara in the course of history is nothing.
Well by that definition, the PRC doesn’t exist. West Taiwan needs to admit that it has been a bad province and rejoin the ROC, aka Actual China, rather than Fake China.
I do not know why you westoids get so salty about Taiwans independence. Is is that you are too brainwashed about “China bad”, that you just automatically follow whatever is against China? China is a worldpower and will 100% continue to dominate the world, just like the USA did. No ammount of crying over it will change that fact.
Because they asked for it, and I listened?
The Chinese people are great. We have no problems with the Chinese people.
The problem is the CCP. Fight for your right to pick your own government that works for you.
You sound like the salty brainwashed one. I just used your logic against you. The PRC doesn’t exist since it is only 70 years old. Can’t be a world player since 70 years means nothing according to you. All of modern day PRC is nothing because it isn’t old enough.
台湾第一！中国第四！中华人民共和国等于死亡！
So China will be part of Taiwan then?
And Xinjiang and Tibet will become independent countries then, as they speak Uyghur and Tibetic languages rather than Mandarin? Right?
To the best of my understanding, the big joke of the “one China” policy is precisely the “yes” to that first one.
Though that second one never occurred to me: Xinjiang was more or less held from the Qing onwards, but does the ROC actually even claim Tibet?
Xinjiang has been an independent nation with a great culture long before modern China was even founded.
Yes, but was, IIRC, under KMT during WW2. Tibet wasn’t re-occupied until after 1949. I know ROC, on paper, claim three more dashes. It would be amusing if they claimed one less Tibet.
If they had the military power, I bet ;)
@g7s@feddit.org
What does that mean? First, you say it is about the common language. If this logic doesn’t hold, it is about military power?
What are you gonna say next, Republic of Ireland is part of UK? They speak English.
Oh, how about, the whole South America is Mexico? Wait, is Spain Mexico too?
I’ve been to Spain and can confirm they speak Mexican there
I see you do not like how the world works. I promise you that Taiwan will be part of PRC eventually. The only reason why the western world cares anyway, is because they are worried about the semiconductor production.
You are naive.
I’m sure the semiconductor industry is important for the global economy, but it’s not just that. The Western world government was voted in and picked by the people of their countries. Just like Taiwan, our democracy picked the type of government we want.
I want to ask you fellow brother. Outside of the blind pride, what has the CCP done for you lately?
It is not that I am a blind CCP follower or disagree with democratic government forms. I simply view it as unavoidable that Taiwan will not be included to mainland China eventually. Besf thing we can hope for is, that Taiwans forwardness to the western world will somehow influence mainland chinese people. But I am afraid the disinformation campaign of CCP is too strong for that.
What has CCP done for me? Build up a large country from dirt and leftovers from colonization, that made my todays life very good. And it is continuing to do so. I think Taiwans wealth comes from the worlds dependence of semiconductor creation, but alas, soon PRC will have that technology as well. It simply seems unavoidable that Taiwan will be able to defend themselves, with the USA being run down by facists and EU as well. Even If Orange Man won’t run for office again, I think republicans will stay in power for a while and therefor be less inclinded to do military intervention If PRC strikes Taiwan.
First of all, thank you for having a civil conversation with me.
I disagree with you on the semiconductors. China doesn’t need Taiwan for that. They are capable at either making it or at the very least, stealing it from Taiwan. They already can’t have anything smaller than 5nm. They are still doing well.
Unfortunately, the CCP built a large country, not because of you. It is benefiting the CCP and if you benefit indirectly, its purely by accident. If one day life isn’t very good for you, you have zero recourse except for accepting your fate. A society functions when everyone has a voice at the table.
In Taiwan, we too were colonized by multiple countries. The Dutch, Spain, and most recently Japan. Our current government that we voted for, at least for now, the benefits are all for the people. We actively prosecute sitting majors and government officials. The major of Taipei is in jail right now because of corruption.
The Swedish Vikings created the settlement that is now Kyiv, and later spread to settle parts of what is now both Ukrainian and Russian.
With your not naive world view, Putin should give his land to Sweden, right? It is what history tells him to do.
?
Cope.
Taiwan has been coping for over 75 years.