On the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Web site, the name “Tibet,” commonly used by the international community, was replaced with the name “Xizang” — the Romanized spelling of the region’s Mandarin name.
“Inner Mongolia” has been replaced with “Nei Menggu.” Many English signposts, such as those bearing “international airport” and “station,” have had those terms replaced with “guojijichang” (國際機場) and “zhan” (站).
These ludicrous acts have made things more difficult for non-Chinese speakers and rendered the use of English signage meaningless.
However, the move has not been carried out on a whim: It is a politically driven act to legitimize the occupation and rule of Tibet, a push for “de-ethnicization” and “de-historization,” and to realize the complete Sinicization of Tibet in a bid to solidify the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) control.
Beijing has reneged on its promises, unhappy that Tibetans were not conforming to the CCP’s demands.
The CCP has introduced a series of cultural uprooting measures by brutal force, such as banning the Tibetan national Snow Lion flag, and the teaching and use of the Tibetan language in schools, as well as ordering the persecution of the Dalai Lama, which has led to the diaspora of Tibetans.
The arrest of monks, vandalization of temples and the establishment of the Chinese State Religious Affairs Bureau Order No. 5 — officially named the “Measures on the Management of the Reincarnation of Living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism” — which requires Buddhist temples to file for an application before people are allowed to be recognized as Tulkus — the reincarnate custodians of specific lineages of Tibetan Buddhist teachings — are politically driven measures meant to intensify the crackdown on Tibetans’ cultural and religious rights.
The CCP does not respect universal values such as human rights, law or freedom, which are fundamental conditions that allow peaceful coexistence with other nations. So, it should be no surprise that the so-called “Little Pinks” are rising — young, jingoistic Chinese nationalists who indulge in schadenfreude and voice their avid support for terrorist organizations such as Hamas, or “academics” who advocate “keeping the island, getting rid of its people” in a bid to normalize the idea of using nuclear weapons against Taiwan.
It is even more peculiar that the CCP would think that Taiwanese would have the same values as brainwashed Chinese.
Place names such as Bangka (艋舺, also known as Monga) in Taipei’s Wanhua District (萬華), Sijhih District (汐止) in New Taipei City and Yilan County’s Wujie Township (五結) have a lot more to them than meets the eye or ear, as they have significant historical and cultural connotations.
Some of the places were named during the Japanese colonial period, with the goal being to retain the original meaning and pronunciation.
Medieval Chinese names for Tibet, for example “Tubo” (吐蕃) and “U-Tsang,” were derived from local languages, but “Xizang” is a name bestowed from the depths of Sinocentrism.
The barbaric change from “Tibet” to “Xizang” shows that China intends for the region to be severed from its culture and history, with Tibetans to be put even more firmly under the heel of the “one China” principle and Chinese hegemony.
There is a parallel in Taiwan, which still has many roads named after former presidents Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國) and Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石), symbols of an autocratic past and devoid of connection to the land.
Hong Tsun-ming, originally from Hong Kong, is a specialist in the Taiwan Statebuilding Party’s international section.
Translated by Rita Wang
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