In 1624, Taiwan became embroiled in the Age of Sail competition between Dutch and Spanish colonial powers. During the rule of the Chinese Ming Dynasty loyalist Cheng Cheng-kung (鄭成功), also known as Koxinga, and the subsequent rule by the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty, Han Chinese culture was introduced to Taiwan. Later in the Japanese colonial rule, Japanese culture was also imported. Together, the historical traces of the past colonization, together with its inheritance of Austronesian culture, have enriched the cultural landscape of Taiwan.
With that diverse culture, Taiwan has become inclusive through respect and tolerance. The early democratic efforts by the Taiwan Cultural Association and the Petition Movement for the Establishment of a Taiwanese Parliament laid a foundation for freedom and democracy, eventually leading to a free and democratic Taiwan.
China has followed a different path, forming an authoritarian and dictatorial system through its national ideology and institutional structures. Taiwan’s ethnic minorities should not be misled by the efforts of collaborators in Beijing’s all-encompassing “united front” work to only recognize “Chinese culture,” which is an attempt to weaken Taiwan’s culture and identity.
Given its essential majority in the legislature, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers recently recommended seven academics, who are mostly pro-China, as members to the government’s curriculum guideline review committee. From Alice Ou (區桂芝) to Tuan Hsin-yi (段心儀), Prudence Chou (周祝瑛) and Wu Wu-tien (吳武典), they not only have a strong pro-unification agenda, but also frequently glorify China and criticize Taiwan on Chinese official media, trying to distort Taiwan’s education reform. In spite of Taiwan’s diverse culture, they accuse the Democratic Progressive Party of carrying out “desinicization.”
I recently saw a video of three senior-high school students in New Taipei City holding a Chinese flag and calling President William Lai (賴清德) the “Taiwan Province governor.” They said they hope that Lai can “return Taiwan to the motherland by 2025.”
Take that video seriously. Why do young Taiwanese students recognize the People’s Republic of China as their “motherland?” It shows that Taiwan’s national identity, and culture and education about it should be deepened.
In the past few years, there have been cases of retired generals as well as military officers becoming accomplices in China’s “united front” efforts. Some have set up organizations under the command of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), looking for opportunities to infiltrate Taiwan.
As Beijing continues to dispatch warplanes and warships to intimidate Taiwan, and has not dropped the possibility of taking Taiwan by force, the CCP should be considered a hostile actor. Unfortunately, the ideological training of the military has blurred the distinction between us and the enemy, calling into question how the military is able to defend the nation.
As Thomas Paine, one of the US’ founders, once said: Independence and autonomy are common sense, and it is only natural not to leave the fate of one’s country in others’ hands. Culture is the link to life. Trade and technology make a country rich and strong, but culture and education make a country great.
Realizing Taiwan’s cultural and educational subjectivity and shaping a united nation are the cornerstones for consolidating democracy and protecting sovereignty.
Lee Chuan-hsin is chairman of the Northern Taiwan Society.
Translated by Eddy Chang
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