As China increases the pressure on Taiwan, remarks by pan-green camp politicians regarding the need to develop friendlier relations with Beijing — such as being “pro-China,” “friendly with China,” “having peaceful relations with,” or “understanding” China — have sparked controversy not only among Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) supporters, but also in the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), which used the remarks as an opportunity to mock its opponent.
It was indeed not the best time to offer an olive branch to Beijing. Nevertheless, it showed that Taiwan has no intention of antagonizing China as it moves toward becoming an independent and sovereign nation.
From calling Beijing a “fake government” and promoting anti-communism to leaning toward and fawning on China, and allowing the nation to become dependent on it — indeed cleaving onto China — the KMT’s approach to China has changed drastically over the years.
Its flip-flopping deserves more criticism than the remarks by DPP politicians, who need to remember the reasons they got elected.
From the time Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) made “retaking the mainland” a national goal to the time of former president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國), who promoted a policy of “uniting China with the Three Principles of the People” and, more recently, the compromise approach of “one China, with each side having its own interpretation of what that means” — which does not allow Taiwan to have a different interpretation — it is clear that today’s KMT only wants to rule Taiwan as a representative of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
The KMT is the source of most of the problems between Taiwan and China; and the China factor is the reason Taiwan has not become a normalized nation.
The PRC should know that the reason the Republic of China (ROC) has remained a government in exile since it moved to Taiwan in 1949 is its connection with China. If China allowed Taiwan to become an independent nation, the PRC would also be an intact nation.
A small nation, an independent Taiwan would be similar to Japan or South Korea — in that they all use Chinese characters — existing on China’s periphery.
After cutting the umbilical cord with China, elements of Chinese culture would continue to live on in Taiwan as part of the diverse culture that makes up the nation.
The KMT and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) were previously locked in a battle for control of China, which resulted in the loss of countless lives. A feeling of animosity and hatred toward the communists led to the KMT engaging in a zero-sum game over who represented China: Taipei or Beijing, encapsulated by Chiang Kai-shek’s slogan that “gentlemen will not stand together with thieves.”
The KMT-CCP tussle over China continues to this day and is slowly squeezing Taiwan to death. If it continues, feelings of animosity toward China will likely increase and Taiwan’s move away from welcoming “the motherland” toward the pursuit of independence will become an inevitability.
“Liberating Taiwan” should mean allowing it to develop into a nation that maintains friendly relations with China, rather than forcibly annexing the nation under the framework of the ROC.
Only a China that behaves in a civilized manner can gain the respect and esteem of Taiwanese.
If the pan-green camp politicians’ overtures to Beijing are not reciprocated, China’s evil intentions will be clearly exposed to Taiwanese.
Taiwanese politicians understand China. Although uncivilized, China is an extremely powerful nation that has suffered the ignominy of falling from a position of power and prosperity into a position of humiliating weakness.
How was the CCP able to topple the KMT in China and establish the PRC? Those still trapped in the old ROC mindset will struggle to come up with an answer.
Lee Min-yung is a poet.
Translated by Ann Tu and Edward Jones
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