The central standing committee of the People's Republic of China's National Congress on Dec. 26 approved a draft bill for what has come to be known as the "anti-secession law." This is a big step for China.
Unfortunately, it's in the wrong direction.
Evolutionary biologists have long known that the fastest evolution, the quickest development in a line of organisms, doesn't occur on continents but in archipelagos of many close but separate islands, where it's possible for populations to make local experiments. The successes spread like lightning through the region. The failures remain local or fizzle out.
Not China, but Europe, with its many separate and distinct nations, cultures and languages, spawned modern civilization. It's no accident. We think of China as a country, but it's not. China isn't analogous to, say, Germany, Italy or England.
It's the Asian equivalent of Europe and, like Europe, China is, in fact, composed of many separate regions, each having its own individual history, language and nationality. This truth has been obscured by China's historical fixation on empire. If this "anti-secession law" is intended to pave the way for a move against Taiwan, it only shows how firmly China is still stuck in its dysfunctional past.?
For China to gobble up Taiwan would, admittedly, not be good for Taiwan, which is much better off as it is. But the point I would like to make here is that neither would it be good for China. The "one China" policy never benefited China. It has all but defeated everything that's splendidly and vibrantly Chinese. Consider this one fact: it's the little specks of vast China, those tiny particles of territory historically unconnected to the corrupt power center, that have moved forward with such singular verve into the modern world -- Taiwan, Singapore, and, until recently, Hong Kong.
What China needs is to follow the example of its success stories, not strangle them one by one. The "archipelago effect" works, the "continental scenario" doesn't. This is the message that should be getting through to China's leaders. What China needs isn't an "anti-secession law" but a program for the orderly secession of its different constituent nationalities so that, one by one, each may set out like Taiwan on its own amazing adventure, forging its own unique way of being Chinese. Only in this way can China, so long stymied, break out and finally achieve its proper place of leadership in the civilized world.
China should forget about competing with the US. It can do better than displacing the world's dinosaur. The European example is clearly the one China needs to follow. Living here in Taiwan as I do, I see on a daily basis the miracle that can happen in a place that is small and free. The young people that Taiwan is now producing are amazing. I only wish all the other regions of China could gain their independence, too, and experience the same miracle.
William Stimson is a writer living in Taiwan.
The gutting of Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) by US President Donald Trump’s administration poses a serious threat to the global voice of freedom, particularly for those living under authoritarian regimes such as China. The US — hailed as the model of liberal democracy — has the moral responsibility to uphold the values it champions. In undermining these institutions, the US risks diminishing its “soft power,” a pivotal pillar of its global influence. VOA Tibetan and RFA Tibetan played an enormous role in promoting the strong image of the US in and outside Tibet. On VOA Tibetan,
Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), the leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), caused a national outrage and drew diplomatic condemnation on Tuesday after he arrived at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office dressed in a Nazi uniform. Sung performed a Nazi salute and carried a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf as he arrived to be questioned over allegations of signature forgery in the recall petition. The KMT’s response to the incident has shown a striking lack of contrition and decency. Rather than apologizing and distancing itself from Sung’s actions,
US President Trump weighed into the state of America’s semiconductor manufacturing when he declared, “They [Taiwan] stole it from us. They took it from us, and I don’t blame them. I give them credit.” At a prior White House event President Trump hosted TSMC chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家), head of the world’s largest and most advanced chip manufacturer, to announce a commitment to invest US$100 billion in America. The president then shifted his previously critical rhetoric on Taiwan and put off tariffs on its chips. Now we learn that the Trump Administration is conducting a “trade investigation” on semiconductors which
By now, most of Taiwan has heard Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) threats to initiate a vote of no confidence against the Cabinet. His rationale is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government’s investigation into alleged signature forgery in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) recall campaign constitutes “political persecution.” I sincerely hope he goes through with it. The opposition currently holds a majority in the Legislative Yuan, so the initiation of a no-confidence motion and its passage should be entirely within reach. If Chiang truly believes that the government is overreaching, abusing its power and targeting political opponents — then
RSS