The pro-China camp in Taiwan is apparently displeased with Nvidia Corp founder and CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳), and an Internet celebrity even searched for and disclosed his personal information online. Such disapproval was not only due to Huang using the word “country” to describe Taiwan or his praise for the nation’s technology industry, but also because his very existence implies support for Taiwan.
After reforms in the Tang (唐) and Song (宋) dynasties, the class system of the “four occupations” — academic, farmer, worker and businessperson — took shape in China.
Prior to the changes, businesspeople held influential roles in China. The powerful merchant Mi Zhu (麋竺) sponsored Liu Bei (劉備) — a warlord in the Han Dynasty (漢) and the founder of the Han kingdom of Shu (蜀漢). As a result, Mi was treated with great courtesy by Liu.
A CULTURAL DIVIDE
As times changed, businesspeople fell to the bottom of the pile of the four classes, and engaging in business was at most a “means,” rather than a “goal.” After businesspeople made some money, many of them might enter politics through imperial examination or public donation, turning from merchants to officials.
Taiwan is different.
An old Taiwanese saying goes that “the best job is to sell ice and the second best is to become a doctor,” with “selling ice” referring to doing business.
“Good academics are easy to find; good businesspeople are hard to find,” another old Taiwanese saying goes.
The proverbs show that Taiwan’s occupational hierarchy historically contrasts with China’s academic, farmer, worker and businessperson framework.
ISLAND OF TRADE
Since ancient times, Taiwan has been an island of trade beyond the reach of the Confucian regimes.
Huang’s visit to Taiwan as an international entrepreneur has drawn a great deal of media attention. The question of why Huang did not turn away from a life as a businessman to become a politician demonstrates the different cultures and histories between Taiwan and China.
Taiwanese society’s embrace of Huang is in stark contrast to China’s use of “common prosperity” to deal with Alibaba Group founder Jack Ma (馬雲). It is no wonder that the pro-unification and pro-China camps in Taiwan are annoyed by Huang’s visit.
SPORTS AND BUSINESS
More than a decade ago, retired Taiwanese diplomat Kuo Kuan-ying (郭冠英) voiced his disfavor of baseball as it was brought to the country during the Japanese colonial era, but said he preferred table tennis, which is popular in China and has become symbolic of its diplomacy with the US.
Different phenomena occur naturally in business and sports, and they have nothing to do with insulting China or supporting Taiwanese independence, but instead come about as a result of the different historical contexts that exist on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
It is a pity that some people are uncomfortable simply because of the different phenomena. However, Taiwan cannot engage in communal wealth or a cultural revolution for the sake of making those people feel comfortable. The government, the public and businesses would not agree to it, and even the pro-China members of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party dare not agree to it.
Jimway Chang is a high-school history teacher.
Translated by Eddy Chang
It is almost three years since Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a friendship with “no limits” — weeks before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Since then, they have retreated from such rhetorical enthusiasm. The “no limits” language was quickly dumped, probably at Beijing’s behest. When Putin visited China in May last year, he said that he and his counterpart were “as close as brothers.” Xi more coolly called the Russian president “a good friend and a good neighbor.” China has conspicuously not reciprocated Putin’s description of it as an ally. Yet the partnership
The ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu (孫子) said “know yourself and know your enemy and you will win a hundred battles.” Applied in our times, Taiwanese should know themselves and know the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) so that Taiwan will win a hundred battles and hopefully, deter the CCP. Taiwanese receive information daily about the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) threat from the Ministry of National Defense and news sources. One area that needs better understanding is which forces would the People’s Republic of China (PRC) use to impose martial law and what would be the consequences for living under PRC
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said that he expects this year to be a year of “peace.” However, this is ironic given the actions of some KMT legislators and politicians. To push forward several amendments, they went against the principles of legislation such as substantive deliberation, and even tried to remove obstacles with violence during the third readings of the bills. Chu says that the KMT represents the public interest, accusing President William Lai (賴清德) and the Democratic Progressive Party of fighting against the opposition. After pushing through the amendments, the KMT caucus demanded that Legislative Speaker
Beijing’s approval of a controversial mega-dam in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo River — which flows from Tibet — has ignited widespread debate over its strategic and environmental implications. The project exacerbates the complexities of India-China relations, and underscores Beijing’s push for hydropower dominance and potential weaponization of water against India. India and China are caught in a protracted territorial dispute along the Line of Actual Control. The approval of a dam on a transboundary river adds another layer to an already strained bilateral relationship, making dialogue and trust-building even more challenging, especially given that the two Asian
RSS