During a speech to the Honduran legislature on Wednesday, Premier Yu Shyi-kun referred to "Taiwan, ROC" 15 times. This usage differs from conventional references to the "Republic of China" when dealing with allies, and is a considerable
improvement.
The government has a duty to cast off national baggage. By using the term "Taiwan, ROC," Yu helps the nation's allies and the governments and peoples of other countries to understand that Taiwan is now a different political entity from that which proclaimed itself the "Republic of China" under Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) rule.
"Taiwan, ROC" is admittedly still a peculiar title and one that does not quite reflect the political reality. But at least it underlines the country's distinctive political, economic, cultural and social
features.
Members of the international community will now know that the title refers to Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu and the 23 million people who live here.
They will be less likely to confuse "Republic of China" with China. Reported confusion in Honduras over this distinction has thereby been dealt with elegantly by Yu and his delegation on their tour of the Americas.
When former president Chiang Kai-shek's (
Almost 60 years have passed since KMT rule was brought to Taiwan by the Chiang family, and today, most people have nothing to do with China beyond a limited number of businessman.
Under such circumstances, how can Taiwan possibly be a part of China? If such territorial ideas
are applied consistently, then the Republic of Mongolia, the Korean peninsula, Okinawa and even Vietnam could still be considered to be parts of Chinese territory.
Unfortunately, most countries have yielded to political pressure and have accepted this dangerous idea as the price of diplomatic ties with an increasingly desperate Beijing.
No one can deny that people on both side of the Taiwan Strait belong to two completely different countries. Taiwan has already been through three free presidential elections and, as of 2000, the KMT, which ruled Taiwan for 50 years, lost the mandate to govern.
Taiwan has become a normal democratic country in which the right to govern can change hands. Given this, Taiwan clearly needs a specific and recognizable name to announce to the international community that it is a country cultivating democracy, freedom and the rule of law.
This will also show that Taiwan has never belonged to communist China, and that there is no reason for it to be considered a regional government under the authority of China.
Irrespective of whether we refer to the nation in future as "Taiwan, ROC" or some other name, its territory, its borders and the people under its jurisdiction have absolutely nothing to do with China.
Two weeks ago, Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh (楊紫瓊) raised hackles in Taiwan by posting to her 2.6 million Instagram followers that she was visiting “Taipei, China.” Yeoh’s post continues a long-standing trend of Chinese propaganda that spreads disinformation about Taiwan’s political status and geography, aimed at deceiving the world into supporting its illegitimate claims to Taiwan, which is not and has never been part of China. Taiwan must respond to this blatant act of cognitive warfare. Failure to respond merely cedes ground to China to continue its efforts to conquer Taiwan in the global consciousness to justify an invasion. Taiwan’s government
This month’s news that Taiwan ranks as Asia’s happiest place according to this year’s World Happiness Report deserves both celebration and reflection. Moving up from 31st to 27th globally and surpassing Singapore as Asia’s happiness leader is gratifying, but the true significance lies deeper than these statistics. As a society at the crossroads of Eastern tradition and Western influence, Taiwan embodies a distinctive approach to happiness worth examining more closely. The report highlights Taiwan’s exceptional habit of sharing meals — 10.1 shared meals out of 14 weekly opportunities, ranking eighth globally. This practice is not merely about food, but represents something more
In an article published on this page on Tuesday, Kaohsiung-based journalist Julien Oeuillet wrote that “legions of people worldwide would care if a disaster occurred in South Korea or Japan, but the same people would not bat an eyelid if Taiwan disappeared.” That is quite a statement. We are constantly reading about the importance of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), hailed in Taiwan as the nation’s “silicon shield” protecting it from hostile foreign forces such as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and so crucial to the global supply chain for semiconductors that its loss would cost the global economy US$1
Concerns that the US might abandon Taiwan are often overstated. While US President Donald Trump’s handling of Ukraine raised unease in Taiwan, it is crucial to recognize that Taiwan is not Ukraine. Under Trump, the US views Ukraine largely as a European problem, whereas the Indo-Pacific region remains its primary geopolitical focus. Taipei holds immense strategic value for Washington and is unlikely to be treated as a bargaining chip in US-China relations. Trump’s vision of “making America great again” would be directly undermined by any move to abandon Taiwan. Despite the rhetoric of “America First,” the Trump administration understands the necessity of