The Strange Political Situation of Taiwan

Henry Srebrnik, (Summerside, PEI) Journal Pioneer

Is Taiwan part of China? In fact, should its government be considered the only legitimate authority over the entire country, not just the island? What about the reverse: does mainland China have the right to unite the island with the mainline – even by force?

Or – a third possibility -- is Taiwan a separate entity altogether that should declare its own independence?

Actually, despite their ideological difference and historical hostility, there is one thing the mainland government in Beijing, and the island government in Taipei, both agree on: Taiwan is a province of China.

Yet the island has not always been governed from China. From 1624 to1662 Dutch soldiers and traders maintained a colony in southwestern Taiwan, and the Spanish also maintained a colony in northern Taiwan between 1626 and 1642.

The Europeans were driven out and from 1683 to 1894 both Taiwan and mainland China were ruled by the Qing dynasty, the last one before China became a republic in 1912.

Following an 1895 war with Japan, however, Taiwan was ceded by the Qing government to Japan. In 1945, in the wake of Japan’s defeat in the Second World War, China regained Taiwan.

But rule from the mainland lasted a brief four years. Chiang Kai-Shek’s Kuomintang (KMT) nationalist forces, in power in China since 1912, were ousted by Mao Zedong’s Communists in the civil war that followed Japan’s surrender. In 1949 Mao proclaimed the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in Beijing.

Chiang’s army retreated to Taiwan, where his government, which continued to call itself the Republic of China (ROC), remained intent on retaking mainland China and reunifying the country.

Chiang died in 1975, and under his son and successor, Chiang Ching-kuo, the KMT continued to rule the island with an iron hand. Until 1987 martial law was in place and any discussion of Taiwanese independence was banned.

Since his death, Taiwan’s political system has evolved into a multi-party democracy. While the KMT continued to govern, a new grouping, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), was formed, and became increasingly identified with independence for Taiwan, as a sovereign jurisdiction no longer associated with China.

The DPP won the presidency in 2000 with the election of Chen Shui-bian, who was born on the island. The party asserts that its efforts to promote a Taiwanese national identity are an effort to normalize a Taiwanese distinctiveness repressed during years of authoritarian KMT rule (most of whose politicians were mainland refugees).

In 2008 the KMT regained power, under the Hong Kong-born Ma Ying-jeou. His policies have been seen as part of a long-run effort to steer Taiwan towards closer ties to the PRC. Ma has stated that “for our party, the eventual goal is reunification, but we don't have a timetable.”

Following his election, Taiwan and the Chinese mainland resumed direct sea, air, and mail links. He has allowed mainland Chinese tourists to visit Taiwan and lifted restrictions on the financial sector to invest in mainland China.

Since 1971, Communist China has held the United Nations seat for China. It is also recognized as the official government of the country by most other states, including Canada. As of 2013, the ROC maintains official diplomatic relations with only 21 UN member states, although informal relations are maintained with nearly all others.

“Chinese Taipei” is the name used by the island when participating in some international organizations and almost all sporting events. Both the Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China agree to the use of the name because it is ambiguous about the island’s political status.

While most residents of Taiwan are ethnically Han Chinese, about half a million people (some two per cent of the population) are Taiwanese aboriginals, people related to Austronesian ethnic groups in Malaysia, the Philippines, Madagascar and the Pacific islands. These native Taiwanese inhabited the island prior to the mainland migration that began in the 17th century.

They chafed under the repressive rule of the Japanese during the 1895-1945 period and mounted several rebellions, which were severely repressed. The autocratic KMT regime that followed was not much kinder.

The movement for indigenous cultural and political resurgence in Taiwan gained momentum in 1984 when a group of aboriginal political activists established the Alliance of Taiwan Aborigines.

Beginning in 1998, the official curriculum in Taiwan schools has been changed to contain more frequent and favorable mention of aboriginals. Their issues have now also become part of the discourse regarding the future political status of Taiwan.