A few days before this year’s Double Ten National Day celebration, former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said he would not attend the official ceremony because he did not want his presence to be viewed as “an endorsement of Taiwanese independence.”
Yet on the day of the celebration in front of the Presidential Office Building, the words on the banners read: “The 112th National Day of the Republic of China,” not Taiwan.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), who was elected by the citizens of the Republic of China (ROC), made a speech at the podium. Taiwanese heroes and students performed the national anthem of the ROC. The ROC Air Force showed off its achievements in locally designed and produced jet trainers, the AT-5 Yung Ying (“Brave Eagle”), arranging for the aircraft to fly over the Presidential Office Building. A military honor guard also performed.
In her address, Tsai said that over the past seven years, all Taiwanese have contributed to building a highly resilient economy. Taiwan’s economy has become a key force in the restructuring of global supply chains. As a result, the ROC has become stronger. She also expressed her gratitude to Taiwanese for giving her two terms as president of the ROC.
During the ceremony, “the strength of the ROC” and “the president of the ROC” were mentioned several times. It was nothing but a celebration of the ROC’s national day.
On the other hand, the site of the old Presidential Palace in Nanjing, China, that Ma visited in March is an empty shell. That “Republic of China” was already eliminated by the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Ma could have voiced his disapproval, yet he remained silent.
A nation’s development should follow international trends. The “anti-China” trend of today came into being after countries around the world began seeing China as a threat.
In addition to Taiwan’s own freedom and democracy, as well as its capability in technology, it has been following this trend, and therefore gains support from other democracies.
For example, the US Congress has passed a bill to defend Taiwan’s international status, saying that UN Resolution 2758 (which recognizes the PRC as the sole legitimate government of China) does not apply to Taiwan.
In terms of its economy, Taiwan was not overly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, the economy has grown further thanks to the government’s issuance of stimulus vouchers and cash, and the introduction of the TPass monthly mass public transportation program. Rental subsidies were also provided to help people in a practical way. These are the fruits of the joint efforts of Taiwanese.
All the above are built upon the autonomous political institutions and economic system of the ROC in Taiwan.
Taiwanese agree with Tsai’s “four commitments.” The commitment emphasizing that the ROC and the PRC should not be subordinate to each other has clearly defined that Taiwan and China are two separate national entities. The issue has never been a domestic one.
The ROC exists on Taiwanese soil and its outlying islands. Along with the changing international situation, the ROC has developed into a country different from the one that claimed 35 provinces across the Taiwan Strait. The people of the ROC have been growing and thriving in Taiwan. This is the reality. As a reserve lieutenant commander, I disagree with Ma’s reasoning for not attending the official Double Ten National Day ceremony.
Arthur Chang is a navy reserve lieutenant commander.
Translated by Emma Liu
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