In the news for the last few days, the important story from Taiwan is "U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit ". She is the first U.S. highest-ranking officer to visit Taiwan in the past 15 years. She was warmly welcomed in Taiwan. China strongly protest Nancy's visit and said " any attempt to seek independence by Taiwan would be shattered by the powerful force of the Chinese force". China's aggression toward Taiwan threatens its security. Chinese ships crossed the median democratic line of Taiwan and in a military drill, they launched ballistic missiles. China said, "This is Beijing's internal matter.”
According to Chinese statements, "Pelosi's visit is provocative and for this, Sanctions would be imposed on Pelosi and her immediate family.”
Importance of Taiwan:
Taiwan is in the south of China, its area is around 36,000 square Km. This island is separated from mainland China by the Taiwan strait ( 220 km). According to Chinese history, some explorers had been sent for an expedition and they spotted this island and identified it with Taiwan. Some Portuguese sailors named the island Illa Formosa, meaning Beautiful Island. In 1683, during the Qing dynasty, many Chinese migrated to Taiwan when China lost the first China-Japan War in 1894-1895, Japan ruled Taiwan till 1945. When Japan lost the 'Second World War' then China had a chance to rule Taiwan. At that time China was called the Republic of China ( ROC), but the ROC was under a military dictatorship and Chiang Kai-Shek was the leader. When there was unrest, unhappiness, and civil war, a popular leader Mao-Zedong (Communist leader) made his red army fight with Chiang's party. In 1949, after military victories, Mao Zedong proclaimed the establishment of the People's Republicans of China (PRC). After that Chiang and his KMT ( Kuomintang) army fled to Taiwan under another plan and regrouped the army for their efforts to get back to the mainland. The ROC leader Chiang took with him, gold and treasure from China. Thousands of soldiers were airlifted and millions of people and other precious things shifted from the mainland to Taiwan. Chiang took all that he could take from the mainland, established a government in exile in Taiwan and announced martial law.
Two China - Chiang Kai-Shek military dictatorships in Taiwan called the Republic of China ( ROC) and Mao-Zedong's Communist China called the People's Republic of China (PRC) both claimed to be the real China. A battle for international recognition, and legitimacy followed when Taiwan held the ROC as the united nation. Western countries accepted Taiwan as only China. In 1954 the first Taiwan crisis started, when Chiang sent thousands of troops to two Taiwanese islands, Matsu and Kinmen. Mao responded by bombing the island and four years later second crisis started Mao's men again started bombing Kinmen and Matsu. They wanted to repeal the ROC troops. Despite this military tension, Taiwan saw economic growth and development. During the Cold War Mao's China was deliberately important to the U.S. and it seems world priorities change too. In 1971 the United Nation chose to consider Beijing as the real China.
Relations improved when Xiaoping became the leader of China. He began opening China to the world and he does economic reform in 1978. Over the next many years, relations became friendly and important between Taiwan and China. Trades started on both sides, people were allowed to visit their families. A meeting was held in Hong Kong in 1992, Beijing and Taipei agreed to one China but it was only verbal. China told Taiwan we should work on the policy on one country and two systems, be part of our country and you can do independent work separately and we can give you Significant Autonomy. Both sides of the strait belong to one China, and it is ruled by Beijing.
But Taiwan understood it differently. While China is ruled by the Communist party Taiwan is democratic with multiple parties. Taiwan in 2000 first election results elected Chen Shui-born (200-2008l as president, he was from the democratic party and this party openly backed Taiwan's independence. Chen Shui-bian archive is internationally famed for his promotion of independent Taiwan. China was not prepared for this move so Beijing passed a new law, the anti-secession law. It said that China could use force to keep Taiwan. In 2014 thousands of students in front of the Taiwanese parliament began protesting for the rectification of the trade agreement with China. Students want transparency because Taiwan is a democracy. This was the start of the sunflower movement for social justice, emphasizing direct democracy and Taiwan's identity. It was the first open movement against China.
China's dream for reunification, 2013 when Xi Jinping became the president he revealed his one China dream. He wanted to review China's historical glory. Beijing's stand is that there is only 'one China and Taiwan is part of it. At present, 14 countries maintain diplomatic official relationships with Taiwan and its legal status is not clear.
In a 2019 speech, President Xi Jinping said "We make no promises to renounce the use of force and reserve the option of taking all necessary means" and he also said that "reunification is essential for China's dream of restoring the country's great power status in the world by 2049. Because the People's Republic of China (PRC) will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2049 and other leaders of China could not bring Taiwan and China together, Xi Jinping wants to do that and wants to become China's great leader.
Tsai Ing-wen's election proved that she campaigned on the idea of transparency. She is critical of China. She registered for the Democratic progressive party's presidential (DPP) nomination. Then the DPP nominated her as a presidential candidate. She was elected as president in 2016 and then reelected in 2020. Now Taiwan has its flag, its anthem and its currency too. Its semiconductor industry is the world’s hub. Xi Jinping forced other countries to avoid Taiwan, and wants to ensure a "one China policy". But the ideology of both countries is not the same. In China, there is no freedom, and a full dictatorship government and Taiwan has a Democratic progressive government
But what Taiwanese People opinions are, according to one survey about 64% of people identify as Taiwanese, 30% of people identify as both Taiwanese and Indian, and around 2% of people identify as Chinese. Less than 10% of people want reunification with China. Historically both countries grow differently China is a Communists revolution and Taiwan had Democratic reform
If War happens, according to USA's parliamentary legislation 1979, if China wants to invade Taiwan forcefully, the US forces will be deployed in Taiwan to help them. Last few years, the US. has maintained a distance from China and Taiwan strategically. But gradually the US shifted more in favour of Taiwan but supported only one China policy. On the other hand, Japan distances itself from this sensitive matter, according to one statement from the Japanese defence minister that Taiwan is a Democratic country and if China attacks Taiwan, Japan will protect them. former Japanese prime Minister Shinzo Abe said " Japan and the US will not stand by if China attacks Taiwan, and Beijing needs to understand this,"
Recently the world is facing covid pandemic crisis and the Russia-Ukraine War. There were devastating effects from imports and many people died due to the covenant Russia-Ukraine war. If the same thing happened to China and Taiwan, the consequences of it would be felt all over the world. The number of products exported by both countries is significantly more. Many industries and people's jobs all around the world rely on both countries. Hopefully, those governments and politicians, who are in power, will not push the world into another war.
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