Well, that ends that rather messy topic. If the new documents say it’s a fact, it must be so — especially if it’s reported by Xinhua news.
China has published a vast collection of historical documents concerning Taiwan, giving abundant proof of Taiwan’s close link with China’s mainland.
The collection comprises 100 volumes, including a historical record of the Chinese central government’s administration of Taiwan, pedigrees of clans of the mainland’s Fujian Province and Taiwan and historical events in Taiwan, according to a symposium held here on the event Friday.
Taiwan residents are mostly descendants of mainland migrants, many from Fujian province.
“The collection provides indisputable historical record showing the inseparable historical and cultural links between Taiwan and the mainland,” Cheng Siwei, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, said at the symposium.”It profoundly reveals the ‘China attributes’ of Taiwan. It also constitutes a powerful retort against ‘de-Sinolization’ efforts of Taiwan authorities.”
“We are opposed to ‘Taiwan independence’, but we love our Taiwan compatriots,” said Wang Zaixi, deputy director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council. “The vast number of Taiwan compatriots wish for social stability, economic growth and peace across the Taiwan Straits. We’ll continue to work unremittingly for peace across the Taiwan Straits.”
Sounds like a plan. Now we don’t have to argue any more. It’s good to know they have the best interests of the Taiwanese people at heart.
1
By Sam
Great! And I bet they found those documents right next to the ones that say Lin Biao is “Chairman Mao’s Closest Comrade in Arms.”
January 22, 2005 @ 5:30 pm | Comment
2
By richard
Heh.
January 22, 2005 @ 5:31 pm | Comment
3
By li zhi yuan
“The vast number of Taiwan compatriots wish for social stability, economic growth and peace across the Taiwan Straits. We’ll continue to work unremittingly for peace across the Taiwan Straits.”
Umm, hasn’t taiwan been pretty socially stable, hasn’t it had great economic growth, and hasn’t there been peace across the straights… before china started what is becoming a submit-or-else campaign? The quote should probably read:
“The vast number of Taiwan compatriots wish that things can stay they way they have been, that is, without having to deal with or worry about Bejing.”
January 22, 2005 @ 5:42 pm | Comment
4
By Patrick
“The collection provides indisputable historical record showing the inseparable historical and cultural links between Taiwan and the mainland.”
Well,
My descendants are Irish courtesy of the potato famine, but unfortunately I can’t get an EU passport. Now, if only Ireland was pushing for reunification with Canada…then I’d be set!
January 22, 2005 @ 8:52 pm | Comment
5
By bellevue
Sorry for the offense to CCP fanatics, but their government’s stupidity surely knows no bound.
January 22, 2005 @ 11:03 pm | Comment
6
By lirelou
Ah, I believe that those documents were right next to the ones that prove that Corsica belongs to Italy, and Eritrea “belongs” to Ethiopia.
January 23, 2005 @ 4:53 pm | Comment
7
By keir
As Frank Rich says in today’s NYTimes: “With the torture story all but vanished from television, Americans can look the other way rather than confront the evil committed in our name.” To all you Yanks complaining about having such unpleasant images foisted upon you, I say : “You voted for this.” Brits, Americans and other willing members of the coalition are responsible and being democracies, thy can’t simply say it’s none of their business. We can criticise the Germans and Japanese for their government’s atrocities 6 decades ago by saying that they had to know. Everybody knows what is happening now (except apparently the overly sqeamish) but chooses not to react. Still they approve this war for ‘democracy’ where noone takes responsibility for the actions of their own representatives.
January 24, 2005 @ 12:43 am | Comment
8
By Simon World
Asia by Blog
Asia by Blog is a twice weekly feature, usually posted on Monday and Thursday, providing links to Asian blogs and their views on the news in this fascinating region. Previous editions can be found here. The round-up has four key areas of focus: China, …
January 25, 2005 @ 3:38 am | Comment
9
By Jonathan Dresner
It wouldn’t surprise me if the documents are genuine. But (History 101) that doesn’t prove that the territory is “inseparable.” At best, it proves what we already know: long standing Chinese connections to Taiwan.
January 25, 2005 @ 2:29 pm | Comment
10
By bellevue
Jonathan:
The documents should be genuine. I don’t see any Taiwan leaders deny that.
For example, vice president Anneta Lu visited her ancester’s hometown and donated for local school in 80s or 90s. Lu’s brother, a retired lawyer, is a regular visitor of their ancester’s hometown and managed to have Lu’s name listed in family temple (ci tang) after Lu got elected vice president (China’s tradition ignores female offsprings’ name in temple; this is an exception). BTW, Lu’s brother is in favor of reunification. In public Lu had to downplay that as ‘cultural conviction’. Looks like it doesn’t stop her brother’s annual pilgrimage.
In a picture published in newspaper, Lu poses with school children in Fujian province, all with big smile. Reports say Lu visited more than once, and urged local leaders to focus on education. After 2000 election, Lu has been banned from entering China. Prime minister You never visited his hometown, but had his brother do so on his behalf and also donated money to family fund. These anecdotes are quite interesting. Taiwan by far is more culturally conservative than China is. Last name play a role.
January 25, 2005 @ 10:36 pm | Comment