China has made a proposal to Taiwan in the wake of their recent activity near the small island and given their past feeling on the situation, it’s not anything all that new. They have now proposed the idea of Taiwan fully becoming a part of China again. To now truly operate as “one country, two systems.”
For Taiwan, and anyone who ships through there or has any kind of business there, this is unacceptable.
The people of Taiwan have seen the atrocities and the overreach by Chinese authorities in Hong Kong. The government overreach and severe abuse there is not only legendary, but it also serves as a cautionary tale of how corrupt the Chinese officials can be with their idea of playing both sides of the fence to manipulate those under their thumb.
On August 10th, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen explained that “China issued its white paper… in a wishful thinking way, disregarding the reality of the cross-strait situation.” This white paper is an outline for China’s national defense for Taiwan and is the first they have developed in two decades.
Under these conditions, China would bring Taiwan into the Chinese Communist Party, while allowing them to retain their capitalist systems. It also outlines their plans to take the island with no force. This idea of the situation becoming “one country, two systems” is something the people of Taiwan greatly oppose. With good reason, too.
For years now, the people of Taiwan have operated without China controlling their actions.
While China has maintained its authority over the island, they haven’t had any actual control in about 20 years. Instead, the island has operated autonomously, and in a strange place in the global economy. To give up such freedom is something the people of Taiwan don’t want.
Taiwan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Joanne Ou has also rejected this idea. She believes that the people of Taiwan are the only ones who can dictate their future. She went on to claim that China was using Speaker of The House Nancy Pelosi’s visit as an “excuse to create a new normality to intimidate Taiwan’s people.” Naturally, this is something the people of Taiwan refuse to stand for.
Despite being a small island, the nation is crucial to trade coming out of Asia. Bound for faraway lands such as Australia, New Zealand, or even the U.S., the ports serve as a great place to top off fuel, fix any last-minute things, and get ready to hit the high seas. It provides one of the best logistical places to be certain your boat is ocean ready after leaving mainland China, South Korea, or Japan if headed south.
Its proximity with mainland China and the other small islands the country has had spring up over recent years is another reason the mainland wants them back in their secure zone. This kind of mindset is like other countries that suddenly seek global dominance. The belief that they can get it all done and rule over everyone is something people don’t take lightly on either side of the discussion.
For mainland China, this might seem like a good move logistically, but long term this is the wrong decision for both China and Taiwan. The strange separation has allowed China to have more trade and helped to keep some extra calm in a very fiery region of the globe. Given the exercises China undertook due to the presence of Pelosi, the people of Taiwan got a firsthand experience of what to expect should they reunite.
Looking at what would become the new normal for them, can anyone really blame Taiwan for not being on board?
