Taiwan's Primacy Requires Resolute Opposition to Taiwan Independence

Taiwan's Primacy Requires Resolute Opposition to Taiwan Independence 
China Times Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC) 
A Translation 
June 14, 2016

Executive Summary: Many on Taiwan are willing to relegate themselves to the status of pawns of other great powers intent on containing the Mainland, merely for the sake of Taiwan independence. In doing so, they have reduced Taiwan to the laughing stock of the world. Twenty-first century China is no longer post-Opium War China. Many think a new era of joint Sino-US co-governance has arrived. Others think the 21st century will be one in which the East dominates the West. China awaits transformation. It looks to a future full of challenges. The world is rapidly changing. Western models of governance are undergoing major crises. We on Taiwan should insist on Taiwan's primacy. But we must also approach the Mainland with an open mind. We must integrate the best of Chinese culture and Western values. We must work with the Mainland to birth a renaissance of the Chinese people. That is the path we should take.

Full Text Below:

In recent years, a rising tide of Taiwan independence sentiment suggests that "natural Taiwan independence" has gone mainstream. It suggests that a split between the two sides is a foregone conclusion. But upon closer scrutiny, the Taiwan independence movement's words and deeds always seem a little off, and always ring a little hollow. One might even say that the Taiwan independence movement's words and deeds are a tree without roots.

Advocates of Taiwan independence adopt an “If not me, who? If not now, when?” attitude. They claim the exclusive right to decide who “loves Taiwan”. They claim the exclusive right to define Taiwan's "sovereignty" and "dignity". Green camp “love for Taiwan” is presumed. The blue camp, conversely, cannot possibly “love Taiwan”. When the ruling DPP uses the term "Chinese Taipei", it has done nothing to demean Taiwan. When the ruling KMT uses the term "Chinese Taipei" however, it has “humiliated the nation”. When DPP city mayors and county chiefs solicit business on the Mainland, they are “rational and pragmatic”. When the KMT increases Mainland tourism to Taiwan, it is “pandering to China and selling out Taiwan”. Examples of such DPP hypocrisy are too numerous to list. Any rational person can see the absurdity of such DPP rhetoric. Unfortunately such demagoguery sells all too well on Taiwan.

Those inclined toward Taiwan independence consider “Taiwanese primacy” and “Taiwanese dignity” as matters of major importance. They scrutinize every exchange with the Mainland with a magnifying glass. Anything that can be perceived as a slight is cited as evidence that the Mainland has "demeaned Taiwan". Meanwhile, they themselves constantly taunt the Mainland. They constantly accuse the Mainland of having a "glass heart". They constantly boast that “Taiwan is Number One!” In their refusal to bow before the Mainland, one might imagine that they embody the Hakka spirit of defiance.

Sadly, that is not the whole picture. There is another, paradoxical phenomenon. Even the Japanese admit they imposed colonial rule on Taiwan. Yet many on Taiwan insist that their motherland is Japan. Really? Were these people in fact classified as Japanese during Japan's colonial occupation? When asked whether the comfort women volunteered or were forced, they say “Some were but some were not”. Opponents of school textbook corrections even argue that claims that the comfort women were forced hurts the feelings of the Japanese. When the Japanese expel Taiwan fishing boats from Cong Zi Niao Reef, these same advocates of Taiwan independence dare not utter a peep about whether Cong Zi Niao is a reef or an island. They dare not criticize Japan, yest insist they alone are qualified to deal with the fishing rights dispute. These advocates of Taiwan independence cannot even defend the dignity of their own countrymen. The Japanese spit in their faces, and they respond by meekly wiping the spittle away. How exactly have they defended Taiwan's sovereignty and dignity? What exactly has become of Taiwan's primacy?

For too many years Taiwan has paid too a high price on behalf of these advocates of Taiwan independence. Taiwan has sacrificed its sovereignty and dignity. It has suffered other more tangible losses as well. This is especially true since the new government came to power and allied with the US and Japan to oppose the Mainland. It has abandoned many positions long held by the Ma government. The importation of US pork was merely a matter of time. The new government is about to allow food imports from Japan's nuclear disaster region. Arms purchases from the US will soon be on its agenda. US lawmakers have even come calling, and demanded that arms purchases be increased to 3% of GDP. Many of these moves were intended to buy US and Japanese support in resisting pressure from the Mainland. Chen Shui-bian era checkbook diplomacy is still fresh in people's memories. Yet the new government yearns to become the next sucker?

In order to rid itself of so-called “dependence on the Mainland”, the new government is pushing its New Southern Strategy full force. It is even subsidizing descendants of immigrants if they return to Taiwan. It is calling for increased awareness of the mother country, and closer contacts. New immigrants and their descendants were subject to discrimination in the past. Taking care of new immigrants is the right thing to do, and something we support. But isn't the new government's discriminatory policy just a tad too flagrant? What about Mainland spouses and their children? Aren't they Republic of China citizens? Don't they need to strengthen ties with the Mainland? Or does anyone who has any connection to the Mainland vilified as “The Other”?

If we truly love Taiwan, if we truly believe in Taiwan's primacy, we must punch holes in the Taiwan independence movement's hypocrisy. We must resolutely oppose all words and deeds that incite hatred against our Chinese origins and Chinese heritage. We must confidently oppose Taiwan independence. As long as one lives on Taiwan, one is qualified to “love Taiwan”. Whether one was born on Taiwan, born on the Mainland, or an indigenous person is of no importance. Nor does it matter whether one is blue or green. Taiwanese are also Chinese. One can love Taiwan while supporting reunification. None of these should be cause for conflict.

We hope everyone on Taiwan will realize that Taiwan's dignity cannot be achieved by groveling. Still less can it be achieved by means of media deception. If we wish to win the world's respect, we must first determine who is really Taiwanese. Taiwan clearly cannot sever its links with the Mainland. The two sides share the same Chinese culture and Chinese civilization. Also, the Mainland has become a world-class nation with international influence.

Many on Taiwan are willing to relegate themselves to the status of pawns of other great powers intent on containing the Mainland, merely for the sake of Taiwan independence. In doing so, they have reduced Taiwan to the laughing stock of the world. Twenty-first century China is no longer post-Opium War China. Many think a new era of joint Sino-US co-governance has arrived. Others think the 21st century will be one in which the East dominates the West. China awaits transformation. It looks to a future full of challenges. The world is rapidly changing. Western models of governance are undergoing major crises. We on Taiwan should insist on Taiwan's primacy. But we must also approach the Mainland with an open mind. We must integrate the best of Chinese culture and Western values. We must work with the Mainland to birth a renaissance of the Chinese people. That is the path we should take.

社論－堅持台灣主體性 就要反台獨
2016年06月14日 04:10 主筆室

這些年來台獨思潮甚囂塵上，給人感覺就是「天然獨」已成主流、兩岸分裂也幾成定局。但仔細推敲現在檯面上這些台獨言行，又總讓人感覺有些奇怪，給人一種強烈的虛無之感，若再進一步言，則可說現在的這些台獨言行，根本是無本之木。

具體而言，現在的台獨主張者擺出一副捨我其誰的架勢，壟斷了「愛台灣」的詮釋權，也壟斷了所謂「主權」與「尊嚴」的界定權。綠營愛台灣是天經地義，藍營卻注定沒權利愛台灣；民進黨政府使用「中華台北」叫沒有矮化，國民黨政府使用「中華台北」卻叫喪權辱國；民進黨縣市長登陸行銷叫理性務實，國民黨推動陸客來台叫親中賣台；舉凡種種，不敢說罄竹難書，也只能是族繁不及備載。任何理性的人都會看出這種說辭的荒謬，但現實就是這類說法還十分有市場。

傾向獨立的人將台灣人的主體性、台灣人的尊嚴視為一大事，在與大陸交往拿著放大鏡檢視，任何一件小事都能找到大陸「矮化」台灣的證據，與此同時，還處處挑釁大陸，動輒就說大陸是「玻璃心」，而台灣則是NO.1。看起來這些人確實都具備了客家人的「硬頸」精神，面對大陸絲毫不會低頭。

但我們同時也看到一個弔詭的現象，日本人都承認是對台灣殖民統治，卻有很多台灣人說當年自己的祖國是日本，問題是當年你也配當日本人？當問到慰安婦是自願還是強迫時，他們會說兩者都有，反課綱的抗議者甚至還說，不能說慰安婦是被強迫的，不然會傷害日本人的感情。我們還會看到，當日本人在沖之鳥礁驅趕台灣漁船時，這些人竟然連沖之鳥是礁還是島，都不敢說出個立場來，甚至還敢批評前朝，自誇自己才有能力處理漁權爭議。主張台獨到連同胞都保護不了，自己的尊嚴被隨便踐踏也可以唾面自乾，這豈是維護主權和尊嚴，台灣主體性又放在哪裡？

這些年來台灣為了這些人所主張的台獨已經付出太多代價，不光是主權和尊嚴，更有實實在在的利益。尤其是新政府上台之後，為了推行聯美日制大陸的政策，馬政府原本堅持的各種立場紛紛棄守，美豬開放進口只是時間問題，日本核災區食品也即將要開放進口，對美軍事採購也必須迅速提上議事日程，美國議員甚至直接來到家門口要求軍費提升到GDP的3%。如此種種，無非就是為了讓美日繼續支持台灣，抗拒來自大陸的壓力。陳水扁時代的凱子外交還未從人們的記憶中消失，現在新政府又打算來當新凱子？

為了擺脫對大陸的所謂依賴，新政府現在如火如荼地推行新南向政策，甚至還要補助新移民後代回到母國，美其名曰增加對母國的認識，加深彼此的聯繫。過去新移民及其後代在台灣社會或多或少受到歧視，現在政府要照顧新移民當然無可厚非，我們當然全力支持，但政府如此直接的進行差別待遇，是否過分了一些？陸配和他們的子女難道就不是中華民國的國民？難道他們就不需要加強與大陸的聯繫？還是說他們只要跟大陸沾到邊，就注定是非我族類？

如果我們真心愛台灣，真誠堅持台灣主體性，就要戳破這些說辭的虛偽本質，要堅決反對一切否定兩岸血緣與文化連結的言行，要理直氣壯反對台獨。只要是台灣人，就有權力愛台灣，不分本省人、外省人以及原住民，更不分藍營還是綠營。台灣人也是中國人、愛台灣也可以支持統一，這些都不應該是衝突的概念。

我們也希望所有台灣人都能意識到，台灣人的尊嚴不能靠搖尾乞憐來獲得，更不應拿一些新聞事件來自欺欺人，台灣要贏得世人的尊重，就必須真正弄清楚台灣人到底是誰。顯然，台灣不可能擺脫與大陸的連結，不光是因為兩岸共享中華文化與文明，更因為現在的大陸早已成為具國際影響力的世界級大國。

我們看到許多台灣人為了台獨主張，不惜自甘為其他大國制衡大陸的棋子，卻大言不慚是為了維護台灣的主權與尊嚴，實在是滑天下之大稽。誰都不能否認，21世紀中國已非鴉片戰爭後的中國，許多人認為世界已進入中美共同治理的2G格局，也有人相信21世紀東風將壓倒西風。誠然，中國正待轉型，前瞻未來充滿挑戰，但世界也在快速改變，西方治理模式也出現重大危機。對台灣來說，堅持台灣主體，虛心理解大陸、走好中華文化與西方體制價值觀的融合之路，以此利基與中國大陸攜手實現中國人共同的復興，才是正確的抉擇。