Beijing's claim to stylize itself as the victor over fascism distorts the historical facts, writes Chu Li-ling, Taiwan's deputy representative in Germany. It also endangers the peace it claims to be defending.
By Chu Li-ling
The Republic of China on Taiwan is a democratic island state in the south-east of the People's Republic of China. The country is considered a renegade province. Is Taiwan an independent country? Taiwan's status is a recurring subject of political debate. The background to this is that the People's Republic of China pursues a strict one-China policy. If a country wishes to maintain diplomatic relations with China, it must recognize that Taiwan is an "inalienable part of the territory of the People's Republic of China". Diplomatic relations with Taiwan are then no longer possible; a total of fourteen countries still maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan and recognize the territory as an independent democracy: Most recently, the Solomon Islands and Kiribati broke off diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 2019. Does Germany recognize Taiwan as a country? Germany supports the People's Republic of China's one-China policy and does not maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Although democracy is recognized in Taiwan, this is only under the "one country, two systems" premise of the People's Republic of China. In 2006, the German government even denied the Taiwanese President, Vice President, Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, Defense Minister and Speaker of Parliament a visa and thus entry into the country in order to avoid straining relations with China, but in order to represent German interests in Taiwan, we maintain the German Institute in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan. This is a formally private organization, but one through which political relations are maintained. Taiwan itself has opened economic and cultural offices abroad under the name TECO (Taipei Economic and Cultural Office). This circumvents the ban on diplomatic relations imposed on many countries by China. When did Taiwan become part of China? In 1683, the former Chinese Empire took possession of the island in the southeast. At that time, Taiwan was still called Formosa. The island officially belonged to Fujian province. In 1885, however, China separated Formosa and made it a province in its own right. As a result of the first Sino-Japanese War, China ceded the island to Japan in 1895. It was not until fifty years later, after the end of World War II and Japan's surrender, that Taiwan was returned to China. The island was thus once again a province under the administration of mainland China. What is the difference between China and Taiwan? After World War II, when Taiwan was just an island of China, civil war broke out on the mainland. The Kuomintang under the leadership of Chiang Kai-shek fought for supremacy against the communists of the People's Liberation Army under Mao Zedong. Chiang Kai-shek's national conservative government then withdrew to Taiwan, regarded the island as the Republic of China and wanted to reconquer the mainland from there. The communists remained on the mainland and founded the People's Republic of China, and the Kuomintang saw themselves as the sole representatives of China. They also represented the entire country at the United Nations (UN) until 1971, when they lost this status to the People's Republic of China. To this day, the People's Republic of China threatens to "militarily reclaim" the Republic of China on Taiwan if it declares its independence. A threat that is strictly rejected by most governments. The USA has even promised assistance in the event of military action. Politics in the Republic of China on Taiwan After the Kuomintang proclaimed the Republic of China on Taiwan, they suspended the parliamentary elections. On the grounds that they would only accept all-China elections, the government declared a state of emergency on May 20, 1949. As almost all Kuomintang MPs had fled to Taiwan, this meant de facto one-party rule. The state of emergency was only lifted on July 14, 1987, and in 1992 there was a free parliamentary election, which was followed by a constitutional amendment. In 1996, President Lee Teng-hui, who was already in office, won the first direct presidential election. Since then, the Republic of China on Taiwan has developed into a model democracy in Asia. Elections are equal, free and secret. In 2020, Taiwan was ranked 11th in the democracy index, ahead of Germany (14th), Austria (18th) and the United States (25th). Taiwan's relationship with the People's Republic of China From the perspective of the Republic of China on Taiwan, mainland China split off from China proper when the People's Republic was founded. For this reason, the self-image of a claim to sole representation prevailed for a long time. From the perspective of the government in Beijing, the situation is exactly the opposite, which is why they passed the anti-secession law. It states that the People's Republic is striving for the "peaceful reunification of the fatherland". However, military measures would be taken if Taiwan were to push ahead with independence efforts, but from Taiwan's point of view, independence efforts are not necessary. The pan-green coalition that governed Taiwan between 2000 and 2008 made it clear that Taiwan was already a sovereign state and that a declaration of independence was not formally necessary. However, it was still necessary to fight for recognition of the state. However, in order to calm relations between Taiwan, the People's Republic of China and the USA, the government adopted the policy of five "no's". Without a military threat from China, Taiwan will: Economic miracle in the tiger state of Taiwan The term "Taiwan miracle" is used by economic experts to describe the economic miracle in the Republic of China on Taiwan after the end of World War II. Thanks to massive growth in the second half of the 20th century, Taiwan became one of the four tiger economies alongside Singapore, South Korea and Hong Kong, which rose from a developing country to an industrialized nation within a very short space of time. They optimized the infrastructure and the education system. School attendance was compulsory for every citizen. The Japanese occupation was a time of modernization for Taiwan. The island was not a traditional colony, but an integral part of Japan. Accordingly, in addition to education, railroads, postal services, hospitals and the banking system were established. Economic development of Taiwan It was also important for Taiwan's economic rise that the Kuomintang brought the country's gold reserves and foreign currencies with them when they fled to Taiwan. Taiwan relied on strict import rules for its economic development. There were enormous tariffs on products that could also be manufactured domestically. This strengthened Taiwanese industry. The government was supported by subsidies from the USA, and while the gross domestic product in 1962 was 170 US dollars, in 2019 it was almost 26,000 US dollars. This puts Taiwan in 38th place worldwide (Germany: 18th place, USD 46,473). Adjusted for purchasing power, things look even better. At USD 53,275, Taiwan ranks twentieth (Germany: 17th place, USD 56,220). Industry and trade in Taiwan Taiwan has made this leap thanks to the continuous development of its industry. The export of agricultural goods (until 1950) was followed by growth through the processing of agricultural goods while at the same time protecting the products through import duties (until 1962). Until 1970, Taiwan mainly exported toys and shoes and agricultural goods that had already been processed domestically. From 1970 onwards, the country focused on electronic goods and the service sector is currently the largest industry in Taiwan. In 2020, it generated around 63% of the gross domestic product. Taiwan is also one of the world's largest producers of semiconductors, computers, cell phones and screens. The People's Republic of China and the USA are the most important trading partners in this area. Economic cooperation between Taiwan and China In 2010, the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China signed the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) in Taiwan. This is a framework agreement on economic cooperation. At its core, it is about facilitating the movement of people and goods. Around 16% of Taiwan's exports to China are now duty-free. The chemical, mechanical engineering and automotive industries in particular benefited from this, but the agreement is not without controversy in Taiwan. Opponents of the ECFA fear that the island could first become economically and then politically dependent on the People's Republic of China. The Taiwanese parliament therefore did not ratify an extension of the agreement to include services. Nevertheless, the Kuomintang, which was in power at the time, did not abandon the plan. Taiwan's independence from China This led to nationwide demonstrations that made headlines as the Sunflower Protests. Although the Kuomintang relented, they lost the elections in 2016. Since then, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has been in power under President Tsai Ing-wen. She is considered a supporter of Taiwanese independence and has declared the People's Republic of China's "one country, two systems" policy with regard to Hong Kong a failure, although President Tsai Ing-wen has so far refrained from holding a referendum on independence, as vehemently demanded by protesters. Despite all this, tensions between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China on Taiwan have grown. With little international attention, both parties allowed the ECFA to expire in 2020 without an extension. However, negotiations are currently underway between the USA and Taiwan to reach their own trade agreement. From the USA's perspective, Taiwan is its ninth largest trading partner. All the latest news from the Republic of China on Taiwan The People's Republic's strict one-China policy and its increasingly aggressive approach to economic and political diplomacy are leading to growing tensions. Table.Media reports on how the relationship between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China on Taiwan is developing. The editorial team provides all the news on Taiwan in German.
