I am a Taiwan-born Chinese and grew up on this island. I think I am qualified to explain the relationship between Taiwan and continental China. Despite fantastic views of a small number of people, it is undeniable that Taiwan is a province of the Republic of China and that the Taiwanese are a component of the Chinese race.
Taiwan is mentioned in Chinese history for the first time during the Sui dynasty. Under the reign of Emperor Yang (605-614 A.D.), a Chinese expeditionary force landed at Lukang near Changhua. Inhabitants of Lukang at that time were the Bapusa tribe of Pingpu (civilized aborigines). The Bapusa called Lukang "Rokauan". Thenceforth, Taiwan was transliterated into "Liuchiu". During the Sung dynasty (960-1279 A.D.), there were consecutive civil wars on the Chinese mainland. To escape these conflicts, people of the Fukien coast began to emigrate to Taiwan. The official history of the Sung dynasty says: "The kingdom of Liuchiu is situated to the east of Chuanchow. There is an archipelago called Penghu (the Pescadores) with inhabitants ... " This was the beginning of large-scale Chinese emigration to Taiwan and Penghu. Colonization of Taiwan was actively carried on during the Yuan (Mongol) dynasty (1281-1367 A.D.). The Yuan government officially annexed Taiwan and Penghu, and established the Penghu Commissioner's Office to administer them. After that, a large number of Chuanchow inhabitants moved to Taiwan. The Ching (Manchu) government made Taiwan a prefecture of Fukien province. Taiwan became a province in 1887. Its administrative system was identical with counterparts on the Chinese mainland.
History thus proves Taiwan has been Chinese for more than a thousand years. The position of Taiwan in China is no different from Szechuan or any other province on the mainland.
Except for the aborigines, who comprise less than two per cent of the population, Taiwan-born Chinese speak either the southern dialect of Fukien or the Hakka dialect of Kwangtung. All are descendants of Chinese who settled down in Taiwan after the Yuan dynasty. Taiwanese, including the writer, are of Chinese blood, speak the Chinese language, and follow the traditional Chinese way of life. Like the land they live on, they have an inseparable relationship with continental China.
Taiwan twice was occupied by foreigners—by the Dutch in the 17th century and by the Japanese from 1895 to 1945. The Dutch first invaded Penghu in 1604 but were foiled by the governor of Fukien. However, they succeeded in seizing Taiwan in 1624. The Spanish also sought a foothold on Taiwan but were driven out by the Dutch in September of 1642. Capture of Taiwan by Cheng Cheng-kung (Koxinga) in 1661 ended Dutch colonization of the island. Japanese rule lasted 50 years until August of 1945, and the unconditional surrender to the Allied forces. The Cairo Declaration of November 22, 1943, issued jointly by Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, President Franklin Roosevelt, and Prime Minister Winston Churchill, says:
"The three great allies are fighting this war to restrain and punish the aggression of Japan.
Japan's Renunciation
"It is their purpose that Japan shall be stripped of all the islands in the Pacific which she has seized or occupied since the beginning of the First World War in 1914, and all the territories Japan has stolen from the Chinese, such as Manchuria, Formosa and the Pescadores shall be restored to the Republic of China."
Article II of the Sino-Japanese Peace Treaty signed in 1952 recognizes that "Japan has renounced all right, title and claim to Taiwan (Formosa) and Penghu (the Pescadores)." Article IV of the same treaty further recognizes that "all treaties, conventions and agreements concluded before. December 9, 1941, between China and Japan have become null and void as a consequence of the war."
These stipulations were made in the spirit of the Cairo Declaration and affirm the legal status of Taiwan. Restoration of the island to the Republic of China was one of the results of the Chinese people's eight-year War of Resistance against Japanese aggression. It was also the goal of the Taiwanese who fought against Japan openly or secretly during the 50 years of occupation.
Joy of Islanders
After the war, Taiwan once again became a province of China. Juridically and factually, this was an inevitable consequence. The joy of islanders at the news of Japanese surrender was as great as that of Frenchmen when Paris was liberated from the Nazis. This is further evidence that during Japanese control, the Taiwanese never gave up the cherished hope of being Chinese citizens again.
The "February 28 Incident" of 1947 has been misinterpreted by some persons as Taiwanese resistance to Chinese rule. The true nature of this incident was known to the public at the time. Before 1945, a few Taiwanese were used by the Japanese as tools in controlling the islanders. Their privileges had ended with the war. After Taiwan's retrocession to China, they were ostracized by most Taiwanese. They lamented the loss of their special position even as the people as a whole were celebrating. They cursed the victory of the Allied forces and denounced the restoration of Taiwan to China. They seized upon a minor dispute over some contraband cigarettes to arouse mob psychology among the jobless. That led to the outbreak of the February 28 Incident.
In the revolutionary history of the Republic of China, the "Restoration (to the Ching dynasty) Movement" initiated by Chang Hsun in July, 1917, is comparable to the "February 28 Incident". Chang, a warlord, yearned for the "good old days". Some people of that time interpreted the movement as reluctance of the Chinese people to accept the verdict of the Revolution of 1911. After the failure of the movement, everyone realized it was a shortsighted undertaking by a small number of people. Motivations of the "February 28 Incident" were similar to those of the "Restoration Movement". Chinese of Taiwan have no remaining interest in the movement or the incident. Regrettably, some overseas sources frequently try to make an issue of the "February 28 Incident".
Free, Better Life
Since World War II, Taiwanese have led a free and better life. More than 95 per cent of the county and municipal councilmen are islanders. Of the 21 county magistrates and city mayors, 20 are native-born. Eighty per cent of the provincial government council members are Taiwanese. Prominent native figures in the central government of the Republic of China include the president of the Legislative Yuan (parliament) and the minister of interior. Of officials, 38.83 per cent are island-born at the central government level and 61.76 at the local government level.
As a result of land reform, Taiwan farmers have become the richest in Southeast Asia. Industrialization has increased employment opportunities. No beggars are to be found in Taiwan streets, as tourists so frequently attest. The highway system is one of the world's best. Attendance rate of school-age children exceeds 95 per cent. Of the thousands of students studying abroad, more than half are Taiwanese. From time to time, local newspapers carry articles contrasting this record with the miserable conditions of Japanese times.
Taiwanese of today have an ardent desire to improve their living standard. However, this does not mean that they are unaware of the great gains already made. They are not only reasonably prosperous—highly so by Asian standards—but know that they are free and equal now, as they were not under the Japanese.
Islanders and mainlanders live together harmoniously. Chao Fu, former security officer of the Chinese Communist "embassy" in Stockholm, said, after a round-the-island trip: "The Chinese Communists claim that Taiwanese hate and reject mainlanders and that mainlanders oppress and cheat Taiwanese. After seeing the actual conditions here with my own eyes, I know what a great lie the Communists are telling."
While attending a mass wedding ceremony in Kaohsiung, a southern seaport, he noted that three-fourths of the brides were natives and all bridegrooms were mainlanders. He said: "Among human relationships, that between husband and wife is the most intimate. The fact that an increasing number of native girls marry mainlanders proves that islanders live in harmony with mainlanders. Again, the lie is given to Communist propaganda."
Unpopular Movement
The so-called "Taiwan Independence Movement" has never had a large following. In 1962, I was one of the advisers to the Chinese delegation at the U.N. General Assembly. During my three-month stay in the United States, I visited several Taiwanese who advocated independence. In our talks with them, I found that they advocated "Taiwan independence" in order to fulfill their personal political ambitions. So I told them:
Dr. Thomas Liao is happy after reformation. (File photo)
"Every citizen may have a political ambition. But he should attain political position by legal means. In any country, only a limited number of people can take part in state affairs. Imagine what will become of a country if those who lack opportunity to participate in state affairs try to seize political power under the pretext of independence: What will become of the world?
"A country is often made up of several provinces. If every province is to become independent because of personal political ambitions, where shall we find an integrated country? If a province can become an independent country, why not a county, a township, or even a village?
"A nation is based on such important factors as land, language, blood, religious faith, and customs. Our ancestors came from the Chinese mainland. We share the same language and blood with all other Chinese. During their 50 years of control, the Japanese tried every means to force us to abandon the use of the Chinese characters, speech, and surnames. We rejected all these attempts because we knew we were Chinese. It was this concept of 'we are Chinese' that eventually crushed the intrigues of the Japanese warlords. Why should we negate our status as Chinese after having regained it?"
The "Taiwan Independence Movement" in Japan and the Hongkong-Macao area collapsed after its leader, Dr. Thomas Wen-yi Liao, returned to Taipei May 14 to join hands with the Kuomintang (Nationalist Party) under the leadership of President Chiang Kai-shek. Dr. Liao ended his 18-year exile because he had realized that he was benefiting only the Chinese Communists.
Of the 12 million people of Taiwan, no one thinks of independence. Taiwanese are proud of being Chinese. As a Taiwanese myself, I repeat the genuine feelings of my people—Taiwan was, is, and always will remain a part of China. So, too, Taiwanese are Chinese, now and forever.