‘Taiwan is Taiwan’
Recently, a UK man working as a teacher on Singaporean one-on-one online English-language learning platform Lingostar mentioned during a session with a student in China that he lives in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. He went on to plainly state that Taiwan is not a part of China, but rather its own country.
This immediately led to the intense dissatisfaction of the student’s parents, who were sitting within earshot. The teacher and parents argued endlessly until the teacher eventually used obscene language and flashed his middle finger before logging off in a rage. This conflict clearly illustrates China’s extreme sensitivity toward the issue of Taiwan.
From my observations, it seems that this foreign teacher’s belief that Taiwan is an independent country is gaining more acceptance in the international community.
However, by banning a teacher, can you ban the truth? Chinese media reported that Lingostar has already dismissed that teacher, seemingly for the purpose of placating furious people online. However, this response does nothing to address the root of the issue. China might respond to international support of Taiwan with blocks and bans, but this tactic would only lead people to realize a simple truth — censoring opinions does not change reality.
The reality is that Taiwan’s existence and self-sovereignty is deeply understood by the international community. No matter how China attempts to “clean up” opposing voices, it will not be able to erase this reality from the global discourse. With his words “Taiwan is Taiwan,” the teacher was voicing a pre-existing global understanding. The Chinese government’s repeated attempts to block and eliminate the opposition and reject this reality only reflects that they are powerless towards the truth.
The turmoil caused by this teacher’s frankness reflects China’s anxiety and weakness with regard to Taiwan’s sovereignty. China can ban a teacher, delete a video or even employ legal measures to punish those who question the government’s position, but these tactics can do nothing to change Taiwan’s undeniable existence on the international stage.
If China truly wants to win international acceptance, perhaps it should learn how to coexist with the truth rather than stubbornly responding with bans and suppression. After all, the rest of the world realized long ago that Taiwan is Taiwan — it does not belong to China.
Mei Hsin-hsin
Taipei
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