Taiwan, another Chinese comedy

[Douglas Buckland + 6,308]

In recent weeks we have seen that the people of Hong Kong have expressed displeasure over the meddling of Communist China (PRC) into their affairs above and beyond what was agreed to when control of Hong Kong, by the British, expired in 1997. When Hong Kong reverted to PRC control, it was deemed a ‘special administrative region’ with separate governing and economic systems. We can all see how that is working out for the people of Hong Kong.

China, as they often remind us, can not ‘lose face’. This being the case, the chances of Hong Kong devolving into a larger version of Tiananmen Square are great, simply due to avoiding ‘loss of face’ within the international community.

Which eventually leads us to the fate of Taiwan.

With the resumption of the Chinese Civil War after World War 2, the Kuomintang (Chinese Nationalist Party or CNP) was battling the Chinese Communist Party for control of the Chinese mainland. The CNP was defeated  and the Chinese Nationalist Party government fled to Taiwan in 1949. 

It should be noted that the indigenous people of Taiwan settled the island roughly 6,000 years ago. Under Dutch colonial rule in the 17^th century, the island was opened to mass Han immigration. After a short period of rule under the Kingdom of Tungning, the island was annexed by the Qing Dynasty of China in 1683, and was then ceded to the Empire of Japan in 1895. After the end of the Second World War, and the surrender of Japan in 1945, the Republic of China (not to be confused with the Communist Chinese), which had overthrown the Qing in 1911, took control of the island of Taiwan on behalf of the World War 2 allies.

So what we have is a defeated party in a civil war escaping to an island safe haven refuge which was never under Communist rule. It may be thought that as the Communist won the civil war, that they automatically assumed control over all territory controlled previously by the Republic of China before the civil war, but that is a questionable assumption.

A point to discuss is that if the Communists actually believed that Taiwan was part of China, and their sworn enemy had simply retreated within the borders of China, why did they never make a serious attempt to take Taiwan by force and eradicate the Nationalists?

If you look at Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, it becomes obvious that the Communist Chinese were not interested in these ‘provinces’ until they actually became serious hard currency producing areas. Hong Kong, under the British, became an international financial center. Macau  became one of the most desirable gambling destinations on the planet and Taiwan became not only self-sufficient, it became an export-oriented industrial economy rated somewhere near the top twenty largest economies in the world. It also now rated as a ‘developed country’ with a GDP per capita ranking of 15^th in the world.

China did not give a damn about Taiwan or the Taiwanese until they became a successful nation on their own. Which follows the mentality of not giving a damn about Hong Kong or Macau until they felt that they could tap into the economies of both and direct that revenue back to Communist China.

It has now become fashionable for Communist China to say that they simply want the rogue province be repatriated back into the Motherland. If that is in fact the case, why have they waited 70 years to pursue this goal? The Communist Chinese will try any method in their playbook to force Taiwan back into the fold (even if the Taiwanese do not want to go), including not having any formal relations with any country that recognizes Taiwan a separate entity. 

Hong Kong and Taiwan are very similar situations. If China violently suppresses the civil disobedience in Hong Kong, then we can expect, at some point, a violent response to Taiwan independence. Judging by the support the international community is giving to the people of Hong Kong, the future looks gloomy for Taiwan.

Taiwan is not, and has never been, a part of Communist China. The attempts to marginalize Taiwan within the international community and the constant sabre rattling is simply yet another ‘land grab’ by the Communist Chinese, similar to those they have managed in Tibet, Nepal, parts of Northern India and what they are unbelievably trying to do in the South China Sea with the Nine-Line-Map nonsense. If the international community continues to keep its collective ‘head in the sand’ and refuses diplomatic recognition of Taiwan, then the whole concept of the UN is a joke. Of course, as China is a permanent member of the Security Council at the UN, we can rationally assume that it is already a comedy.

[Tom Kirkman + 8,860]

Hear Kong Kong now or be Hong Kong soon

 

[Hotone + 412]

6 hours ago, Douglas Buckland said:

In recent weeks we have seen that the people of Hong Kong have expressed displeasure over the meddling of Communist China (PRC) into their affairs above and beyond what was agreed to when control of Hong Kong, by the British, expired in 1997. When Hong Kong reverted to PRC control, it was deemed a ‘special administrative region’ with separate governing and economic systems. We can all see how that is working out for the people of Hong Kong.

China, as they often remind us, can not ‘lose face’. This being the case, the chances of Hong Kong devolving into a larger version of Tiananmen Square are great, simply due to avoiding ‘loss of face’ within the international community.

Which eventually leads us to the fate of Taiwan.

With the resumption of the Chinese Civil War after World War 2, the Kuomintang (Chinese Nationalist Party or CNP) was battling the Chinese Communist Party for control of the Chinese mainland. The CNP was defeated  and the Chinese Nationalist Party government fled to Taiwan in 1949. 

It should be noted that the indigenous people of Taiwan settled the island roughly 6,000 years ago. Under Dutch colonial rule in the 17^th century, the island was opened to mass Han immigration. After a short period of rule under the Kingdom of Tungning, the island was annexed by the Qing Dynasty of China in 1683, and was then ceded to the Empire of Japan in 1895. After the end of the Second World War, and the surrender of Japan in 1945, the Republic of China (not to be confused with the Communist Chinese), which had overthrown the Qing in 1911, took control of the island of Taiwan on behalf of the World War 2 allies.

So what we have is a defeated party in a civil war escaping to an island safe haven refuge which was never under Communist rule. It may be thought that as the Communist won the civil war, that they automatically assumed control over all territory controlled previously by the Republic of China before the civil war, but that is a questionable assumption.

A point to discuss is that if the Communists actually believed that Taiwan was part of China, and their sworn enemy had simply retreated within the borders of China, why did they never make a serious attempt to take Taiwan by force and eradicate the Nationalists?

If you look at Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, it becomes obvious that the Communist Chinese were not interested in these ‘provinces’ until they actually became serious hard currency producing areas. Hong Kong, under the British, became an international financial center. Macau  became one of the most desirable gambling destinations on the planet and Taiwan became not only self-sufficient, it became an export-oriented industrial economy rated somewhere near the top twenty largest economies in the world. It also now rated as a ‘developed country’ with a GDP per capita ranking of 15^th in the world.

China did not give a damn about Taiwan or the Taiwanese until they became a successful nation on their own. Which follows the mentality of not giving a damn about Hong Kong or Macau until they felt that they could tap into the economies of both and direct that revenue back to Communist China.

It has now become fashionable for Communist China to say that they simply want the rogue province be repatriated back into the Motherland. If that is in fact the case, why have they waited 70 years to pursue this goal? The Communist Chinese will try any method in their playbook to force Taiwan back into the fold (even if the Taiwanese do not want to go), including not having any formal relations with any country that recognizes Taiwan a separate entity. 

Hong Kong and Taiwan are very similar situations. If China violently suppresses the civil disobedience in Hong Kong, then we can expect, at some point, a violent response to Taiwan independence. Judging by the support the international community is giving to the people of Hong Kong, the future looks gloomy for Taiwan.

Taiwan is not, and has never been, a part of Communist China. The attempts to marginalize Taiwan within the international community and the constant sabre rattling is simply yet another ‘land grab’ by the Communist Chinese, similar to those they have managed in Tibet, Nepal, parts of Northern India and what they are unbelievably trying to do in the South China Sea with the Nine-Line-Map nonsense. If the international community continues to keep its collective ‘head in the sand’ and refuses diplomatic recognition of Taiwan, then the whole concept of the UN is a joke. Of course, as China is a permanent member of the Security Council at the UN, we can rationally assume that it is already a comedy.

The CNP (or Kuomintang) claims Taiwan, HK, Macau, all of the mainland as well as the South China Sea,  to all be parts of China. The PRC makes exactly the same claim using the same historical data. In fact, most of the ancient documents are in the hands of Taiwan.  Of course, some of the territory is disputed by other countries.

Edited October 2, 2019 by Hotone

[Zhong Lu + 845]

That's not entirely true, Douglas.  Mao was looking to invade Taiwan in the 1950s, but couldn't because of the US 5th Fleet.  Then the Korean war came along and permanently shelved all of those plans.  The leaders of the CCP have ALWAYS been interested in taking over Taiwan, regardless of how rich it is, one way or another.  

Edited October 2, 2019 by Zhong Lu

[John Foote + 1,135]

What of the oddities of the situation is the Taiwanese inability to acknowledge China's government as well. In school they won't even allow teaching the reality of PRC.

Taiwan gained by the entrepreneurial brain drain that fled PRC.  

[Zhong Lu + 845]

What's also odd is why the Chinese government can't let it go.  China's gotten rich and powerful without controlling Taiwan.  Why not just maintain the status quo? 

Edited October 2, 2019 by Zhong Lu

[Douglas Buckland + 6,308]

8 hours ago, Zhong Lu said:

What's also odd is why the Chinese government can't let it go.  China's gotten rich and powerful without controlling Taiwan.  Why not just maintain the status quo? 

First, the US 5th fleet and the Korean War may have been an impediment to China invading Taiwan roughly 60 years ago, nothing has stood between them since then.

Maintaining the status quo would deprive Taiwan of international recognition. Is that fair to Taiwan? Why doesn’t the PRC just accept that Taiwan has no desire to be part of China and let it go? As you say, the PRC does not need Taiwan today.

[Zhong Lu + 845]

The US still has a defensive pact with Taiwan.  Maintain the status quo for another 50 years and then maybe let Taiwan go.  Payback for all the years Taiwan kept the PRC out of the UN.  Sounds fair to me.  

Edited October 3, 2019 by Zhong Lu

[Douglas Buckland + 6,308]

If the US did not have a ‘defensive pact’ with Taiwan, the communists would likely have invaded the island years ago, killing thousands of innocent Taiwanese, in an effort to repatriate a province...WHICH HISTORICALLY WAS NEVER PART OF COMMUNIST CHINA!

I suppose that sounds fair to you as well...