LOS ANGELES.–Citing historic precedent, 64-year-old Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said that 71-year-old Chinese President Xi Jinping has history wrong that the Island of Formosa was part of Mainland China. Ching-te said that the Island of Formosa predated the Mao’s 1949 Communist Revolution, created 38 years before the Maoist Revoluion in 1911. Formosa became the Republic of China in 1911, 38 years before Mao founded Communist China. Xi Jinping has been threatening the Taipei-based Republic of China that became a refuge for the Republic of China when Chinese nationalists led by Gen. Chiang Kai-shek fled to the Island of Formosa to seek refuge from Mao’s Communist Revolution. Xi Jinping has been threatening to take back Chinese Taipei from Chinese nationalists now led by Lai Ching-te, claiming the Taiwan’s sovereignty predates Communist China.
Before Mao’s Revolution the Republic of China was in what’s now considered Communist, Mainland China, the ROC was part of China. Hong Kong predated the 1949 Maoist Revolution also resisted returning to Beijing control but eventually accepted that its sovereignty lies Beijing. So when Ching-te argues that the Republic of China began in 1911 after the Qing Dynasty, the same thing could be said for Mainland China. Ching-te knows it was Sun Yat-sen that battled the Qing dynasty in the Xinhai Revolution that toppled the old regime. So, Ching-te’s arguments goes only so far in terms of logic when Sun Yat-sen led the revolution that officially ended the Qing Dynasty in 1911. Ching-te is right Island of Formosa it was also part of the Qing Dynasty so, its sovereignty with Mainland China was established. Ching-te makes it out like Formosa was independent of the Qing Dynasty.
Communist China celebrated its 75th anniversary Oct. 1, and the Republic of China, Taipei, would celebrate its 113 anniversary Oct. 10. “Therefore, in terms of age, it is absolutely impossible for the People’s Republic of China to become the “motherland” of the Republic of China’s people. On the contrary, the Republic of China may be the motherland of the people of the People’s Republic of China who are over 75years old,” Ching-te said to applause. But Ching-te fails to mention that Japan seized the Island of Formosa in 1895, eventually returning it to the Republic of China Oct. 25, 1945. Whether Mao seized control of Republic of China in 1945, the Qing dynasty was toppled by rebels in southern China in 1911. So, between 1911 and the 1949 Maoist Revolution, the Republic of China controlled mainland China, despite not regaining control of Taiwan until 1945.
Xi Jinping has been pushing hard for unification sending Chinese war planes into the Taiwan Strait in a show of force. President Joe Biden, 81, who’s not long for office, committed U.S. troops in 2022 to defend Taiwan, knowing Xi’s insistence on reunifying Formosa with Mainland China. Biden hasn’t made any commitment of troop in Ukraine but tells Xi he would commit troops to defending Taiwan. Xi said Biden violated the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, signed into law by former President Jimmy Carter. Carter agreed in the Taiwan Relations Act to recognize only one China, the one in Beijing, but, more importantly, ended the 1954 Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty. So, when it comes to defending Taiwan, the U.S. is on shaky ground, no matter how many chips the U.S. buys from Taiwan Semiconductor, the world’s biggest chip maker. Taiwan Semiconductor has been busy building plants oversea in case Xi makes good on his promise to take over Taiwan.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said his country is a sovereign, independent state, no matter what Xi says. Taiwan receives the most sophisticated arms from the U.S. to defend its territorial integrity from China or any other threat. “One of the most important meanings of these celebrations is that we must remember that we are sovereign and independent country,” Ching-te said, but not saying how Taiwan was different from Hong Kong. Whatever pro-democracy movement existed in Hong Kong, it’s been squelched by Beijing authorities now taking control of the once British Crown Colony. When it comes to Taiwan, China was the Republic of China in 1911 when it ended the Qing Dynasty, not receiving Formosa because it was given to Japan in 1895. So when it comes to sovereignty, Xi can make the case that the Republic of China came from the Mainland.
Taiwan is on shaky ground claiming sovereignty over Island of Formosa when it was given to Japan by the Qing Dynasty in 1895, only returned 50 years later after WW III. Ching-te wants to claim that Communist China cannot be Taiwan’s “motherland” because the ROQ existed since 1911, not the 1949 Maoist Revolution. When Mao’s communists conquered the Republic of China in 1949, he expected he would hold all of China’s territories not just a select few. When Britain turned over Hong Kong July 1, 1997, there were no strings attached, with clear sovereignty going to Mainland China. It took until June 30, 2022 for Beijing to assert sovereignty over Hong Kong with the two-state, one system finally complete. When it comes to Taiwan, it’s on shaky ground using arguments about the age of the Republic of China v. Communist China. Xi won’t be duped by Ching-te.
About the Author
John M. Curtis write politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
