Free Essay On Taiwan

In the paper, Professor Lynch makes an investigation of the history of the people currently occupying Taiwan since four thousand years ago. Through this historical perspective, an attempt is made to define how the Taiwanese view themselves in light of the claims that China lays on their territory.
There is a substantial population of Taiwan who have their roots in the island. These include the Hokkien, the Hakka and the austronesian people. These groups have a distinct identity which is different from that of mainland China, and despite years of successive conquests and colonization by powers ranging from the Dutch to the Japanese, they have still maintained their identity. This implies that these people at no point saw themselves as part of the larger Chinese nation and would rather retain their identity which they have managed to keep for centuries. There is also an historical aspect in the mistreatment that these people received from the Chinese KMT in the 1940s. Especially sore is the memory of the February 28th incident in 1947 where many Taiwanese were mistreated in the suppression of a revolt which was calling for more participation in governance by these populations.
Another substantial population on the island of Taiwan is composed of mainlanders who moved from China when communist forces took over. They were mainly nationalists who believed in the principle of a united Republic of China (ROC) and were members of the nationalist party KMT. Initially, this part of the population believed that Taiwan would be a temporary abode from where they could launch their efforts to recapture mainland China from the communists. This dream is as good as dead since communism in china has metamorphosed into a modern form and a powerful government with a distinct identity. This implies that those who mainlanders who moved into Taiwan on this bandwagon have two options, move back to the mainland and accept communism or develop Taiwan into the democratic republic that they envisioned under the KMT party.
Taiwan’s relationship with China is bound to become better as both nations progress into free market economies. The frosty relationship that exists between the two countries will thaw out as China realizes that it is not in its best interests both militarily and economically to lay ownership claims on the island. The KMT and the nationalistic forces in Taiwan will realise that attempting to change the government in Taiwan is a lost dream, and only good and diplomatic relationship with the mainland will be beneficial to both parties. The two nations will in due time develop mutual respect for each other, and will treat each other as any two diplomatic nations would. The growing dependence on Chinese goods also implies that the island cannot completely sever itself from the mainland, and therefore, it is only practical that the two nations keep cordial relationships with each other.