Statute of Taiwan

This article presents the controversy. For the general article, to see Taiwan. For the article on the current Taiwanese State, to see Republic of China (Taiwan). See also History of the Republic of China.

The question of the statute of Taiwan raises the question to know if Taiwan is a independent country - what is the case in the facts - or if on the contrary, it is a province of the China , on which RPC currently does not have any capacity. It should be known that Taiwan is recognized neither by UNO nor by the great powers (based on the principle of only one China). Currently, the statute quo is of rigor and should not in the immediate future change before political negotiations on the one hand between the Taiwanese Chinese themselves and on the other hand between the Taiwanese Chinese and the Chinese of continental China.

Presentation of the context

The population is made up to 84% of Chinese Han of the province Fujian having immigrant there is more than three centuries, mixing for some of them to the aboriginals (26% of the Han population would have indigenous ancestors). In 1949, the leaders of the Guomindang took refuge there as well as part of the nationalist army and civilians fleeing the communist troops. This population currently forms 14% of the population. Finally the Aborigènes of Taiwan are minority with 2%.

The inhabitants of Taiwan, except the indigenous , have the heritage of the thousand-year-old culture of the Han S. having avoided the destruction of the Cultural revolution, it should paradoxically be said that the Han culture is more preserved on the island that on the unintermitting .

The République of China (Taiwan) is a effective State but little recognized, the island has its clean Gouvernement, its clean Institution S. the European Union recognizes sometimes an existence to him distinct from the Popular republic of China. Major fear is the reunification under the authority of PCC in continental China. Considering the terrible problems resulting from one or the other exit, the population is mainly for the maintenance of the current status quo .

The controversy

The leaders passed, members of the Guomindang Chinese, always affirmed that they were Chinese, and that their island was governed by the laws of the “République of China”, worked out in China continental and imposed on the island in the years 1945-1949.

Historically, the island was initially an isolated island, inhabited by populations austronésiennes, the Dutchmen occupied the Western part of the island. The Chinese started to manage the island end of the XVIIe century. Passed under Japanese administration after the Sino-Japanese war of 1895, it passes by again under Chinese administration in 1945. Geographically, it is clearly separated from the continental China, which insulated it and (culturally) maintained in this mongrel reality. With the assessment, one notes heritages mainly mongrel and an official statute disturbs which make it possible to affirm neither that the island and its population are Chinese nor independent.

The crisis initially had due the claim to Guomindang to being the legitimate representative on all China, and other side owing to the fact that the continental China had as a symmetrical ambition to join together Taiwan with it, in the most peaceful possible way, but not excluding “the use from not-peaceful means” (cf Loi antisécession of 2005). The fact is that Taiwan since re-examined its claims with the fall, while popular China re-examines them with the rise, exerting an increasing pressure on Taiwan in order to lead to the reunification.

The blocking element of the situation is that the modern Taiwanese army and especially that of the United States, engaged by, ensure the effective autonomy of the island, whereas the government and the Taiwanese population discuss of a possible official declaration of independence, under the threat. Continental China actually affirmed that one of the points being able to lead to an armed conflict would be a declaration of independence on behalf of Taiwan.

“Only one China”, with the profit of the RPC

History: sinicization of 1945 with democratization

In 1940, the government of the nationalist State of Tchang Kaï-chek was then recognized as being the only one which is representative of the Chinese people. However China was divided, another government existed, that of the Communist Mao. If these two governments competed between them, nevertheless they fought also the Japanese empire (of which Taiwan formed part) which also occupied a good part of continental China.

At the time of the Japanese defeat of 1945, Taiwan was returned to official China of then, that of Tchang Kaï-chek. After its defeat vis-a-vis the Communists in 1949, Tchang Kaï-chek and its partisans of the Guomindang took refuge on the Taiwanese island and imposed a violent return to the Chinese identity on it. Tchang Kaï-chek continued, of Taiwan, to be posed like the only one representing the single one and large China. By interest, the majority of the nations legitimated and supported the République of China. The international community, according to the American opinion, denied the reality of communist China completely, and Tchang Kaï-chek remained the only official representative of China on the international scene until 1971. It is on this date that the Popular republic of China (that of Mao) had to represent only the interests of the Chinese nation at the Safety advice of UNO. Tchang Kaï-chek, then Guomindang, refused this irrefutable fact and continued to manage Taiwan as if nothing had changed. No independence thus was officially declared, only the report of two governments out of two territories could be made.

History: democratization

Died of Chiang, his/her son succeeded to him. It was finally to be more liberal than his father and amorça a democratization of Taiwan, the increasing liberal opposition of the time is there unquestionably for something also. Guomindang started to lose its powerful control and the expression of the Taiwanese identity started to be tolerated. Although Guomindang continued to proclaim that he was still the only legitimate representative of the continental China and that it was ready to reconquer “his” territory, it appeared obvious that had become impossible. Only the return to Taiwan was possible; the government decreased its Chinese claims and tolerated a “taiwanisation” of the opinion, insofar as that created an identity local, ready to resist the Chinese pressures. Continental China indeed having reversed the power struggle (since it is from now on it which affirmed to want to recover Taiwan, posed as being “the 23e Chinese province” )

Question of a possible proclamation of independence in the population

The Taiwaneses are divided on the question of independence (green political color) or the reunification (blue political color).

The Taiwanese Population is divided between those resulting from the Chinese immigration of 1949; majority having Chinese origins and a very weak population of not métissés aboriginals.

The Chinese immigrants of 1949 have a strong attachment with the China and with the Guomindang, the aboriginals almost do not have a political weight. In the medium, although the vast majority is mongrel, this interbreeding dates, and the partial Taiwanese identity but continues is more felt remote and partial Chinese identity. This majority is often regarded as mongrel, with an identity sister of China but different.

Then it is a question of opinion. There is thus a division between those “Chinese” opinion which are favorable to a peaceful reunification; those which are “neutral” and want to preserve the statute-quo; and those of “Taiwanese” opinion which want to proclaim independence.

The weight of the threat Chinese Militaire makes weigh on Taiwan a pressure which tends to make accept the reunification rather than to risk the war.

But there are also a resistance and a fear to be reunified. In particular because the Taiwaneses are afraid of Communism and its system, which makes as much fear on the level of the threat on their economy, their standard of living, which on the level of the communist Political system. There is also the fear of disappearing in the immense Chinese territory, to more be able to be a Master of oneself. Fear of being controlled by Beijing and not to have more but to follow.

The weight of the last Propagande S is also felt, the Japan isation (1895-1945), then the “Guomindang isation” - posing to the communist Chinese like “the communist enemy without honesty” .

Bonds

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/tw.html
Mainland Affairs Council (MAC)
Taiwan Documents Project
http://www.taiwan-info.org.uk/html/english/wtms_nws-9850.htm

References

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