From: echang@engin.umich.edu (Hsiou-Ping Chang)
Subject: Re: DATA: largest world economies
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 92 00:12:28 EST
Organization: The University of Michigan
Reply-To: echang@engin.umich.edu
Originator: changhp@fijan.engin.umich.edu


> >	Their interpretation will base on what they percieve.
> >The perception is mainly from Taiwan government and people of Taiwan. 
> >It is our goverment and citizen's job to show that we don't represent China;
> >we represent Taiwan.  We want China to leave us alone.
> >We need international friends to help us not only in the invasion but also
> >in joining the international society.
> 
> What Taiwanese think about Taiwan is only a very small factor in what
> other governments do with respect to Taiwan.  Most governments are
> movitated based on what they preceive to be in their self-interest.
> 
	WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
	I believe as more and more citizen concern about Taiwan,
they will make an impact on the future of Taiwan.  Your cost and benefit
analysis is very correct in the sense of the established situations, but
you seems to neglect the fact that we can change the current situations
of Taiwan by urging and pushing the government and by making a consensus
goal among the people.  By your cost and benefit analysis, if in the
future Taiwan become a very important member in the international
society, other country will
be willing to help the Taiwan people based on their on interest.

	IT'S TIME TO CHANGE OUR IMAGE.
The way people perceive Taiwan today is due to the past Taiwan
government.  The way people will perceive Taiwan in the future is based on
our effort now.  We should not be intimidated by the threat of China and
give up what we should do.   We need to do business around the world;
we need to involve more in the international society so that we will become
more influential; therefor, we need to improve our diplomatic status.
	
> One more thing.  You seem to forget that a lot of governments have
> separtist problems of their one, so Taiwan is unlikely to generate
> much sympathy by saying that they are separate from China.  Indonesia
> has problems with East Timor.  Morroco has problems with Western
> Sahara.  Cyprus has problems with North Cyprus.  India has problems
> with just about every one of its states.  Almost every state in
> sub-Saharan Africa has had some separatist movement in its history.
> 
	1) The situation is quite different:
	Taiwan has her own sovereignty; does any part of any country 
	you mentioned above have sovereignty?

	2) The term "separate" in my opionion is misleading.  Taiwan
	(in your term: ROC) is already an independent country; she
	doesn't need to separate from China, but she does needs to
	escape from the threat of China government.  The Taiwan
	government in the '60s and '70s gave the wrong 	impression
	to the international society that we represented China.
	Now we should do our best to correct the error.
	
> If you think that the international community will welcome Taiwan if
> it only declares that it is not part of China, you are under a
> very dangerous delusion.
> 
	I am not proposing that.  I  am proposing that admitting Taiwan is only
a  part of China is a dead end for Taiwan.   Taiwan can never has formal
diplomatic relations with major powers,  no matter how hard she tries. The
reason: there is only one China and Taiwan is part of it. 
If Taiwan makes it clear that we are on our own, we still have difficult
time, but we can change the situation gradually. 


> >	Everyone knows there is only one China, PRC.
> 
> I don't know that.  Mr. Shao doesn't know that.  The United States in
> 1971 did not know that.
> 
> That's not everyone.
> 
	Ok, not everyone but almost everyone.
	If you tell any international friend that you come from China,
it's very unlikely that he/she will ask you "which China". They will
assume that you come from PRC.  
	Really, only very few people are aware of there is a country
called ROC, but many people know Taiwan.   

> >The fact is we represent Taiwan! 
> >Nothing more nothing less.
> 
> Technically, the ROC also has de facto jurisdiction of small parts of
> Fujian province (Jinmen and Matsu).
> 
	They are parts of Taiwan.  The  current jurisdiction is very
rediculous.  Don't you think they are under Taiwan's control not under
Fujian province's?

> >The use of ROC gives wrong intrepretation
> 
> The interpretation is that ROC is the de facto government of part of
> China just like the ROK is the de facto government of part of Korea.
> 
	That's an interpretation most people come from Taiwan won't accept.
We want people to know we represent Taiwan, not China, let alone a part of
China.

Newsgroups: soc.culture.taiwan,soc.culture.china