I’ve been reading about Taiwan’s independence issues over the last 2 semesters at school and have started reading Taiwanese newspapers and Western newspapers which deal with this issue. I’ve read several articles over the past few weeks that have mentioned the increasing belligerent stance toward Taiwan, essentially saying that if Taiwan doesn’t work toward resolving reunification, they will threaten military action. I know that a lot is just posturing, trying to influence the votes of Taiwanese people. But I also know that in past elections, they’ve tried bullying Taiwanese into voting for KMT officials, which backfired in the several instances.
I’m fairly young though, and didn’t pay attention over the last 20+ years of Taiwan-China relations. But, I admit, it does freak me out and depress me, that they may not be bluffing, and that in the next 10-20 years, Taiwan could lose its independence. I could also be too young to have any perspective on this issue, just like the college students always saying that the president in power at the time they went to college is the WORST president ever. It could also just be that I’ve heard from Chinese people spitting out their brainwashed bullshit that “Taiwan WILL become reunited with China because it’s an inalienable part of China,” and it’s just this that’s depressing me; how can people be so brainwashed and so completely lack any empathy and how can EVERY SINGLE CHINESE PERSON hold this same view?
Is this recent posturing different from the past though?
(Sorry, I tend to jump around a lot when I talk about this issue. I’m too passionate about Taiwanese independence. My brain goes on overdrive.)
I don’t believe that any major world nations have ever agreed to the premise that Taiwan is “independent.”
According to what I understand, Taiwan is neither independent, nor a part of China. Certainly the United States has never recognized that Taiwan is a part of China.
I’ll try and find the articles. There was one a couple weeks ago where the Chinese sent a letter to America hinting that they are prepared to use force.
Hartzell, I already know that most countries are cowards and won’t recognize Taiwan as independent. That doesn’t mean Taiwan isn’t/doesn’t deserve independence. Those countries just want China’s money.
Ah, got it wrong, it was the Chinese defense white paper. And it wasn’t that they are prepared to use force, it was that they said that it’s time to start negotiations for reunification. Also, there is mention of “harsh” passages directed toward the DPP. This is based off of analysis by Richard Fisher.
But, combine this with the Beijing asshats saying that electing Tsai Ing Wen means a significant cooling of relations and the renaming of China’s new aircraft carrier(which is set to sail this year) to Shi Lang, who took over Taiwan in the Qing Dynasty, and I think these are not too subtle hints at what China is planning on doing when Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang take over China next year.
blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2011 … iwan-ties/
“If [their] cross-strait policy is established on a ‘Taiwan independence’ splittist basis … it does not matter how ingenious the packaging,” the Taipei Times quoted TAO spokesman Yang Yi as saying following the announcement of Ms. Tsai’s candidacy. “It will certainly … damage the peaceful development of cross-strait relations and affect stability in the Taiwan Strait.”
The analysis by Richard Fisher, a senior fellow on Asian military affairs at the Washington-based International Assessment and Strategy Center, said the white paper “provides a disturbing insight into the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) strategy of coercive envelopment of Taiwan.”
Fisher said the paper was “a stark reminder of the PRC’s [People’s Republic of China] ongoing strategy of economic and political ‘united front’ warfare combined with military intimidation, which the PRC could decide to change into a direct military campaign at any point in the future.”
Seriously now, shengou, that’s all you’ve got? That China basically said Taiwan wanting independence isn’t going to help cross-strait relations, and the friggin name of a ship in the Chinese Navy, that’s what you call China’s “belligerence”, “posturing”, and “bullying”
So, what exactly do you expect to read from China’s defense white paper(like there’s anyone who even reads it)? That TI would be great for cross-strait relations? or China saying Taiwan can go TI and it won’t care?
Damm, the pro-independence people really have to dig deep to find their material nowadays. I mean, in recent years China has realized that using its soft power to counter TI is much more effective than using violence or harsh rhetoric, the TI people are running out of bad things to say about China.
[quote=“ABC”]Seriously now, shengou, that’s all you’ve got? That China basically said Taiwan wanting independence isn’t going to help cross-strait relations, and the friggin name of a ship in the Chinese Navy, that’s what you call China’s “belligerence”, “posturing”, and “bullying”
So, what exactly do you expect to read from the China’s defense white paper(like there’s anyone who even reads it)? That TI would be great for cross-strait relations? or China saying Taiwan can go TI and it won’t care?
Damm, the pro-independence people really have to dig deep to find their material nowadays. I mean, in recent years China has realized that using its soft power to counter TI is much more effective than using violence or harsh rhetoric, the TI people are running out of bad things to say about China.[/quote]
Rrriiiigggghhhhtttt…because naming it Shi Lang, which is not JUST a ship, is not an obvious threat to the Taiwanese. Because saying that discussions for reunification must begin soon, or else, is just all peaches and cream. And what does it matter if anyone reads the defense white paper? Is that not their policy, or at least intended outline of their defense policy over the next few years?
Don’t forget the purpose of my thread was to ask if I was overreacting. I have only had a year of reading about China-Taiwan relations. I didn’t know if this has happened every election since Lee Teng-Hui was first elected.
[quote=“ABC”]Seriously now, shengou, that’s all you’ve got? That China basically said Taiwan wanting independence isn’t going to help cross-strait relations, and the friggin name of a ship in the Chinese Navy, that’s what you call China’s “belligerence”, “posturing”, and “bullying”
So, what exactly do you expect to read from the China’s defense white paper(like there’s anyone who even reads it)? That TI would be great for cross-strait relations? or China saying Taiwan can go TI and it won’t care?
Damm, the pro-independence people really have to dig deep to find their material nowadays. I mean, in recent years China has realized that using its soft power to counter TI is much more effective than using violence or harsh rhetoric, the TI people are running out of bad things to say about China.[/quote]
How would China react if the US named a new aircraft carrier to be deployed in the Western Pacific, the USS Nemesis? Do you think they’d find that belligerent?
How about you try to substantiate your claims first. you said that you read several recent articles on China’s increased belligerence towards Taiwan and their posturing, bullying and demanding unification talks soon. But when I asked you to cite those actual articles, you backtracked and came up with…Shi Lang.
Hey look, I don’t know what’s going on inside your head, and whether you’re overeacting or not, but have you also read that there’s a “teacher” named Mr. Wang in Taiwan that claimed the world will end on 5-11 of this year? If you are really freaked out and depressed like you said you are because of what China named one of its ships, you sound like you should be snapping up one of those container houses in Nantou.
No, I seriously don’t. What’s wrong with a USS Nemesis? I have absolutely no idea what’s bad or belligerent about that name and why China should care even a little about it.
How about calling the ship “USS Death to all past and future leaders of the CCP and all they represent”?
Has a nice ring to it.
And if the PRC is not being belligerent anymore, can we please fly the Republic of Taiwan flag again at sporting events? And get a seat at the WTO and the WHO and the UN and the World bank, etc, etc etc.?
[quote=“ABC”]How about you try to substantiate your claims first. you said that you read several recent articles on China’s increased belligerence towards Taiwan and their posturing, bullying and demanding unification talks soon. But when I asked you to cite those actual articles, you backtracked and came up with…Shi Lang.
Hey look, I don’t know what’s going on inside your head, and whether you’re overeacting or not, but have you also read that there’s a “teacher” named Mr. Wang in Taiwan that claimed the world will end on 5-11 of this years? If you are really freaked out and depressed like you said you are because of what China named one of its ships, you sound like you should be snapping up one of those container houses in Nantou.[/quote]