From: thuang@cory.Berkeley.EDU (Tze-yau Huang)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.taiwan,soc.culture.china
Subject: Re: HATE EACH OTHER ? TIME FOR TIAWAN INDEPENDENCE
Date: 18 Dec 92 02:32:32 GMT
Organization: University of California, at Berkeley

I hope that Taiwanese and Chinese do not hate one another and I noticed
that conflicts occur from time to time mostly because we do not have a
clear picture of each other and our expectation toward each other is
unwisely formulated.  I advocate Taiwan independence but I like Chinese
people.  These are two isolated issues.

I do not believe that people should establish their own state just
because they are different.  I also do not believe that a government
should move into a territory populated with the same or different
kind of people without the consent of the residents.  The obvious
violater of the both principles is Israel yet I respect Israel's
right to survive under the condition that occupied areas including
its current capital are returned to Arab and non-Jewish residents
or ex-residents of Israel should enjoy the same citizenship.

Why is this relevant to the issue of Taiwan independence?  Well, I
believe the purpose of a state is to accomodate all the people within
the border of the state.  The border of a state should not be changed
unless most people involved in all areas not just a majority in the
overall region consent to a gradual and careful transition.  The
motivation of adjusting any border should be to better accomodate the
need of ALL people involved in the new border.  The expansion of the
border should not be anything else such as the living space for a
specific group of people, the traditional glory of an ancient kingdom
or empire, or the creation of a military buffer zone.

Taiwan has its operational border well-defined.  If China recognize
Taiwan's sovereignty then Ginmen and Mazhu should be promptly returned.
(Taiwan should see through that residents of these off-shore Chinese
islands get enough bonus that they do not reject such transition.)
In the short run, I cannot see a motivation of uniting the border of
Taiwan and China to the betterment of accomodating Taiwanese residents.
One the other hand, Taiwan, as a island of commerce and manufacture,
has to deal with trade, labor, environment, and patent standards with
the rest of world on its own terms with its own diplomatic policies.
In the long run, people in the future can make their own decision.

It is for Taiwan's benefit that her government starts to persuade the
Chinese to recognize Taiwan's sovereignty as soon as possible.  Taiwan
will definitely be affected by the storm of power struggles among
China and other global powers.  If Taiwan cannot get a non-agressive
guarantee from China, namely the recognition of sovereignty, then she
has to play the game of buying F-16 over and over again and play the
foe of China.  It would be worse if Taiwan just submit to China then
Taiwan's livelihood or existence can be sacrificed by China when wind
go against China.  It sould be obvious to Taiwanese whom has been sold
out by China once (well, actually twice, but that's another story...).
Independence to Taiwan means not being a pown of the West, China, or
Japan.  It would be for Taiwan's benefit that no single power dominate
in the regional affairs.

Can China be persuaded?  Why not?  All Taiwan has to do is to display
her determination not to submit to China.  It does not take the
declaration of independence.  All it takes are de facto obstructions
on any operation of one China or domestic connection to China.  PRC
cannot reject Taiwan's renounciation of sovereignty over China, so that
should be done.  Once China learns that Taiwan will not submit, she
has to weight the negative affect of continuous confrontation with
Taiwan's soft de jure independence.  People should bare in mind that
most China military leaders operate or have stack in enterprises.  
China would not pick weapon up easily even if Taiwan goes straight into
declaration of independence.  When Taiwan play independence softly,
there are even more space for interest groups in China to block any
military action that would jeoperdize China's rapid economic growth.
But Taiwan got to make the move showing China that she is not interested
in China.

It is not whether Taiwanese and Chinese are different that is important
here; it is the different situations facing the people in the two land
that makes separate sovereign administration necessary.

William Huang
Xref: sparky soc.culture.taiwan:16212 soc.culture.china:32740