Taiwan

After World War II, the island of Taiwan, which had been under Japanese rule since 1895, was occupied by the losing side of the Chinese Civil War 'on behalf of the Allied Forces'. The Chinese mainlanders who came over with Chiang Kai-shek in 1949 constituted only 15 percent of the population of the island, but were able to maintain themselves in a position of power over the 85 percent native Taiwanese through tight control of the political system, police, military, educational system and media.During the following four decades, the Kuomintang established a harsh regime, in which the native Taiwanese had little political representation. In the meantime, the Kuomintang authorities attempted to maintain the fiction that they ruled all of China, and would some day 'recover' the mainland.In the 1970s, the picture changed dramatically, in 1971, the UN accepted the Beijing regime as the representative of China. In 1972 President Nixon visited China, and on 1 January 1979, the United States switched recognition from the Kuomintang regime to the Beijing regime. These changes also gave impetus to the growth and evolution of Taiwan's democratic opposition movement in the late 1970s and early 1980s.In international law, the 1933 Montevideo Convention on Rights and Duties of States defines the qualifications for recognition as a nation-state, a defined territory, a permanent population, and a government capable of entering into relations with other states. Taiwan fulfills all these requirements. Indeed, it has a population greater than that of 3/4 of the members of the UN. It is a de facto independent nation, and should be recognized as such.A new 'One Taiwan, One China' policy would not alter international recognition of the government in Beijing as the rulers of mainland China, but it should specifically refer to the provisions of the San Francisco Peace Treaty of 1952, in which the members of the United Nations decided that '...the future status of Taiwan will be decided in accord with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations'.Some international observers argue that we should not raise the Taiwan issue, saying that Taiwan's entry into the UN is impossible because China has a permanent seat in the Security Council and will block any attempt to let Taiwan join the UN.This position is indefensible and totally wrong, the world should not let itself be intimidated by a repressive and dictatorial China. It should stand up for the principles on which the UN was founded: freedom, democracy, equal rights and self-determination of peoples.In particular Western nations, which seem so eager to trade with China, have the moral obligation to make it clear to China that its acceptance as a full partner in the international community hinges on its recognition of Taiwan as a friendly neighbour.China refuses to accept Taiwan as a friendly neighbour, it blocks its international recognition, and continues to lay claim to the island on the basis of the Chinese Civil War. This war ended five decades ago with the establishment of the People's Republic of China, and the expulsion of the Kuomintang authorities from Chinese soil to Taiwan.China's position that Taiwan is a 'province' of China, and that the matter between Taiwan and China is an 'internal' Chinese issue, has no historical or international legal basis. It runs counter to the basic principles of human rights, democracy, and self-determination, as enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations.Taiwan is a shining example that Asian people do want freedom and full democracy. It would be a blatant violation of basic democratic principles if they were forced to 'unify' with an undemocratic and repressive Chinese regime. This would set the cause of democracy and human rights in Asia backward for decades to come.China's build-up in the South China Sea, in combination with its threats against Taiwan, constitutes a major threat to the freedom of the seas in East Asia. If Taiwan would be absorbed by China, the major waterways in East Asia would be under Chinese control, an unattractive prospect for the United States, Japan and nations such as South Korea.By asking the international world to recognize Taiwan as a part of China, the Chinese government indeed exposes its insecurity towards this false claim. Why would a country request that others recognise its sovereignty over a piece of land, if it really governs and owns this land? Obviously, China knows that its claim to Taiwan is factually and logistically absurd.It needs to be emphasized time and again that Taiwan fulfills all basic requirements of a nation-state, it has a defined territory, a population of 21 million (greater than that of three quarters of the UN member nations), and a government which exercises effective control over the territory and the population.It is in China's own interest to accept Taiwan as a friendly neighbour, end hostilities towards the island, and move towards peaceful coexistence, instead of perpetuating an old and anachronistic Civil War. The Taiwanese themselves didn't have anything to do with that Civil War and their future should not be held hostage to it.Ask the Taiwanese themselves. 86% of the population consider themselves Taiwanese and nothing to do with China or chinese................................................. ........................................................... ........................................................... ...........................................................f ound this today....Wednesday, March 5, 2008 By Foster Klug, APWASHINGTON -- China continues its huge military buildup opposite Taiwan, further pushing the balance of power between the two rivals toward the mainland's favor, the U.S. Defense Department says in its annual report on China's military.Although the Taiwan Strait remains stable, China is adding more than 100 missiles a year to the estimated 1,000 it has targeting the democratic, self-governing island that Beijing claims as its own, the report found; hundreds of thousands of troops are based opposite Taiwan, and hundreds of planes are ready to make good on China's threat to attack should Taiwan formalize its de-facto independence."A potential military confrontation with Taiwan, and the prospect of U.S. military intervention, remain the PLA's most immediate military concerns," the report said, referring to the People's Liberation Army, China's military.China was said to be deterred "on multiple levels" from invading Taiwan. The report warned that a war would lead to international sanctions, damage China's economic development, destroy relations with the United States and taint Beijing's coming Summer Olympics.Wang Baodong, spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said China "practices defensive policies" and pursues a "peaceful development route." He said China consistently opposes to the U.S. Defense Department reports as "interference in China's internal affairs and a reflection of typical Cold War thinking."On Taiwan, he said the island "is an integral part of the Chinese territory, and China, as a sovereign state, has the right to conduct necessary defense-building for the purposes of safeguarding national security and territorial integrity." he said.China has insisted that its multibillion-dollar military buildup is defensive.The report comes as U.S.-Chinese military ties have been becoming warmer. Last week, China agreed to allow access to sensitive records on American servicemen missing since the 1950-53 Korean War. The two countries also agreed to set up a military hot line for communicating in emergencies.The U.S. closely watches the Taiwan Strait and, as Taiwan's closest ally, has hinted it would go to war to protect Taiwan if nuclear-armed China should attack.The report said that China is working to contain and prevent moves by Taiwan toward independence, "rather than seeking a near-term resolution."But the situation remains delicate. A "perceived shift in military capabilities or political will" by either side could "cause Beijing to calculate its interests, and its preferred course of action, differently," the report said.Despite China's continued focus on preparing for a fight in the Taiwan Strait, the Defense Department noted what it saw as some positive signs.Chinese President Hu Jintao's annual speech to the Party Congress did not emphasize military threats toward Taiwan and included an offer for talks with the island's leaders, the U.S. report noted.Taiwan has also reversed a recent trend of declining defense spending and has begun modernizing equipment and improving training, the report said.China, though, has the "the most active ballistic missile program in the world" and had between 990 and 1,070 short-range ballistic missiles in its garrisons opposite Taiwan by November of last year, the report found.China has nearly 500 combat aircraft able to reach Taiwan and has airfields that can handle hundreds more; about 400,000 troops were said to be based opposite Taiwan.