From: for499@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu (Biing T Guan)
Subject: Re: Two Chinas and Two Koreas
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 04:41:11 GMT

b0k2481@venus.tamu.edu (KIM, BYUNGSEON) writes:

>I really feel sympathy on Taiwanese people about recent diplomatic breakdown
>with S. Korea.  South Korean Government did similar before when rich Arab
>countries (they were valuable clients to S. Korea in trade and construction)
>asked it to withdraw relationship with Israel.  I do not even know whether 
>Israeli embassy exists in S. Korea nowadays.  However, that is the reality
>in the world we are living now (at least it does not involve any violence).  
>Many other countries have done the same thing.
>Long time ago, I was also very disappointed when U.N. kicked Taiwan out
>for China.  Actually there are so many such examples.

>However, I want to know very fundamental things rather than
>discussing childish matters (Korean embassy in Taiwan bla, bla...).

> - Does Taiwan still claim her legitimacy in mainland?

>   I once knew a Taiwanese several years ago.  He always distinguished
>   his heritage from the Chinese.  He used to express his enviousness
>   about students' movement in S. Korea (though it frequently involved
>   violence), because he was against minor refugee mainlanders'
>   government which ruled Formosa's majority Taiwanese with more than
>   30-year lasted martial law and unbalanced seats in the Congress due
>   to pre-occupied seats by mainlanders.

That depends whom you talk to.  Some may believe that China is China, and Taiwan
is Taiwan.  But based on the results of our last election, I'll say that the
majority of the people living in Taiwan share the views of the ruling party.
A lot of what you mentioned in the above paragraph have changed.

>   Since Nixon visited China, reunification of Germany, and Collapse
>   Communist Russia, ideology becomes less important than even the 
>   difference of religion.  Consequently, if you believe (1) PROC
>   holds the legitimacy in mainland China and, (2) you can get more
>   mutual benefit from PROC, the selection is quite certain.

> - Don't Taiwanese believe (practically) re-unification of China,
>   sometime in the future, dominated by PROC?
>   If Taiwan goverment still claims legitimacy, why doesn't it claim
>   U.K. to return Hong Kong to Taiwan rather than China? 

To put the answers in a nutshell, (1) No, and (2) Yes, we did ask U.K.
to return H. K. to ROC.  But ...

>In Korea, situation is a little different.  We want re-unification of
>Korea without any one-side's dominance (even though some S. Koreans
>expect their dominace due to s. Korea's economic superiority).  We
>know Korea is not Germany. S. Korea has to help N. Korea open its
>gate to the world rather than isolating itself.  I was sad when our
>previous dictators (both J.H.Park and Kim Il Sung) exploited isolation
>to maintain their reign.  I believe, in the near future, the heritage
>of Goguryo will achieve the exclusion of dictatorship from the North.

>B. Sean Kim.....................

I, for one, would like to see a re-unification with mainland China without
one-sided dominance, and this is where the problem arises.
You see, if the rulers of mainland China say that they will abandon 
communism and adopt a democratic system, Taiwan and China will reunite
next month, if not tomorrow or next week. But no, that is not the case.
The rulers of mainland China say that both sides should re-unite now, under
one government (them) and two systems.  So, would you agree to reunite with
your northern brothers, if they say join them and they will guarantee your
way of life for 50 years, and you can have your own local government, some armed
forces for self defense?  I doubt you will say yes to those terms, otherwise
there will be only one Korea now.  That's why the stand-off between Taiwan
and Chin exists right now.  Like you, I really believe that one day we will
re-unite, but not now and not under one-sided dominance. 

To tell you the truth, I really can't care less whether we have diplomatic
ties with S. Korea or not.  I couldn't remember when was the last time
that S. Korea government did something nice to us.  What really pissed
me off was the way that S. Korea government handled the matter.  I am
talking about dishonesty, unfairness and going back on one's own words.
Our government knew a long time ago that so called "brotherhood" stuffs were
just bullshit; we realized that eventually S. Korea government will recognize
China.  What we asked and got was that when the time came, S. Korea government
would notify our government well ahead of time.  Look what happend four days
ago.  I doubt this is the Korean way of keeping a promise.  Because we knew
what will happen eventually, we also try to sell or transfer the property of
our embassy to other groups.  We bought the property, and we should have the 
right to do what's best for us.  But your government kept stalling us from
selling or transfering the property.  Why? you know now.  I doubt this is
the normal way that Korean treat a friend.  In contrast, your embassy in
Taipei is on a rental property, and your government has not paid a dime
for the rent so far this year.  Why?  You know now.  Some estimate that the
value of our embassy in downtown Seoul is around $1.5 billion.  That's billion
wit a B.  That's a lot of money in any currency and a nice gift, won't you say?
The only problem is that it is not paid for by the S. Korea government.
Hmmmm ...

Like you, I also believe that a country should look out for her own
best interests.  So the relations between our two countries start afresh
from now on.  If in the future you scratch our back, we will scratch yours.
That's fair, won't you say?   So, see you in international markets. 
BTW, do troops still station outside the Seoul University to protect
the lifes of students?  Just kidding .......


Biing T. Guan
A Taiwan-Born Chinese.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.taiwan