As I wandered around RT Mart yesterday observing the vast quantities of chocolate now available even in totally localized grocery chains, I realized that the American pachydermal physique may well be The Shape of Things to Come. It will be good not to be alone... speaking of expansion (and aloneness), the defection of the speaker of the Marshall Islands parliament to the opposition party made news here because of his comments on doing so....The sudden defection of the Marshall Islands speaker to the opposition ahead of national elections has fuelled speculation in the central Pacific nation about the future of its ties with Taiwan.Two days ahead of Monday's vote, Speaker Litokwa Tomeing said the Marshall Islands had "wronged" China by recognising Taiwan in 1998 and it was time to "fix this problem by adopting a one-China policy."
The Marshall Islands, with a population of 60,000, is one of just 24 countries that formally recognise Taiwan, which China considers a rebel province awaiting reunification.
China has threatened to invade Taiwan if it declares formal independence.
Tomeing had been the Marshall's parliamentary speaker for eight years since the United Democratic Party (UDP) of President Kessai Note won control of the government from former president and paramount chief Imata Kabua.
However, when he defected a week ago saying the UDP had not lived up to its promises of reform he reduced Note to just a two-vote majority going into Monday's election.
Tomeing's push for a rollback to diplomatic ties with China follows his trip to Beijing last week and a trip by four leading opposition MPs to China last month.
The opposition group included Senator Tony deBrum, the architect of the Marshalls' shift to Taiwan in 1998 when he was finance minister in a previous government.
DeBrum has declined detailed comment about the reasons for his China visit saying only that it was a "fact finding visit" and he would address the issue after the election.
The Marshall Islands business community strongly supports ties with Taiwan in large part because Taiwan funding goes directly to hiring local construction contractors and their workers, circulating money in the economy.
Chinese money at work? Does this case highlight a trend for increasing isolation of Taiwan by China?
I think not. Look at Jinmen and Matsu, as well as the loot in the National Palace Museum. Although Jinmen and Matsu are indisputably Chinese territory and could easily be grabbed by China, China has never taken them. Similarly, the loot in the National Palace Museum is indisputably Chinese and has nothing to do with Taiwan, but Beijing has never demanded that back. Why?
The answer is simple. If Jinmen and Matsu return, then Taiwan has no connection, no overlap, with China at all. Ditto for the National Palace Museum -- it is a concrete reminder that Taiwan and China are supposedly connected. If Taiwan loses those things, it has no connection China -- it is isolated. This simply makes the "annexation vs independence" debate sharper -- while tends=ing to stress the independence of Taiwan. Of course, those islanders in Jinmen and Matsu are 100% KMT. Keeping them in the Taiwan polity brings benefits for the pro-China parties.
Consider Taiwan's diplomatic isolation. During the period of KMT rule, Taiwan shed recognition right and left. During the DPP period, there has been a steady leak, but nothing like the collapse under the KMT. Taiwan is now recognized (as China!) by only 24 countries, all small and impotent. China could, with a combination of cash and muscle, easily push those small countries away from Taiwan. Why doesn't it? Same reason: because as long as someone recognizes the ROC as Taiwan and as China, Taiwan and China are still connected. Once China cuts away all recognition, Taiwan is once again confronted with the stark annexation vs. independence choice, a choice that inevitably favors independence. Hence, the best solution for China is to restrict recognition of Taiwan to a handful of impotent nations, preserving that virtual state, the ROC, whose twilight existence serves the needs of both the pro-democracy and pro-China sides of the cross-strait conflict.....
[Taiwan] [China]
Good points, Michael. One thing: Literally, the objects at the National Palace Museum were the objects of past emperors, lastly Qing emperors, before they came into the hands of Chiang Kai-shek. They are no more indisputable possessions of the PRC than is Taiwan. Of course, all it took for them to become imperial objects, works of Qianlong or some other emperor, was a simple seal of authorization. From the perspective of orthodox legitimacy (zhengtong正統), they were as important, if not more important, to those who possessed them, than was the mere control of territory, to assert the legitimacy of one leader (or party) over another. This is not meant to detract from your points, just to add to them.
ReplyDeleteWulingren and Michael,
ReplyDeleteIf you watch the new National Geographic documentary about the National Palace Museum in Beijing, it seems that now they have the greates collection of Chinese art "from teh Emperors" as they claim -mostly bought back from collections in the West. They have built their own and apparently do not care about the one in Taiwan anymore...
Michael, I understand you point about tehties with China, but that is our point of view outside. The mantra outside is that allies have links with ROC, as there is no nation named Taiwan, since Taiwan is part of China.
Myself I see the link of China as the one Latin America had with Spain: language and culture mainly, but that does not make me a Spanish crown subject.
The issue of "not wanting to be Chinese" is a very bitter one in the eyes of the conservative and powers that be, who shake their heads in amazement. It is the ultimate insult for them since China "is now on the road to achive the glory is what destined to", in the words of not so local-locals.
The ugly Chinaman with its victim of the West complex is aroused again. No dialogue or cooperation can be established after that, and as a matter of fact, encourages those conservative factions to work in the destruction of Taiwan.
the art of indirectness
ReplyDeleteHey clueless expats!
ReplyDeleteYou guys still hark'n on how goooood the ruling party and their BoZo's BigTop government is...
Still hark'n on how bad the KMT is and how China is isolating Taiwan?
Wake Up!
Taiwan under KMT rule is paradise! I saw it, I breathed it - China kowtows to the KMT knucleheads!
For 50 years there was none of this Taiwan being marginalized" crap.
Stop supporting incompetent government that is embarassing 23 million of its once proud citizens.
Taking your bait is soooo not worth my time. Or anyone else's, in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteLOL......by far the funniest comment i've ever read on this blog
ReplyDelete