taiwan is not china

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Taiwan Is Not China: Aborigines, Colonial Rulers and Democratization Prof. J. Bruce Jacobs Monash University Melbourne, Australia 1

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Taiwan is not China: aborigines, colonial rulers and democratisation in the history of the beautiful island Department of International Relations public lecture Date: Tuesday 30 April 2013 Time: 6.30-8pm Venue: New Theatre, East Building Speaker: Professor Bruce Jacobs Bruce Jacobs critically examines how the history of Taiwan was constructed to present the island as a part of China under the authoritarian Nationalist regime and how it is still presented in this way in the People’s Republic of China. Bruce Jacobs is professor of Asian languages at Monash University, Australia, and one of the world’s leading authorities on the political history of Taiwan.

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Page 1: Taiwan is not China

Taiwan Is Not China: Aborigines, Colonial Rulers and Democratization

Prof. J. Bruce JacobsMonash University

Melbourne, Australia1

Page 2: Taiwan is not China

Chinese False Histories of Taiwan

“In history and culture, Taiwan is an integral part of continental China.” (China Yearbook 1969-70, p. 94)“Taiwan has belonged to China since ancient times [original emphasis]” (China White Paper, 1993)Taiwan is “an inalienable part of China.” (China White Paper, 2000)

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When Dutch arrived in Taiwan

No permanent Han Chinese community in Taiwan. Only three temporary groups of Han Chinese

1. Merchants came to trade2. Fishermen came to fish3. Pirates came to hide

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Page 4: Taiwan is not China

When Dutch Arrived, 1624Taiwan, an island of Austronesians,

the ancestors of today’s Taiwan aborigines.

The Austronesians were divided and no one authority united Taiwan.

Austronesians did trade with others including Japanese and Chinese.

Austronesian products included deer skins and meat as well as jade from the Hualien area.

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Page 5: Taiwan is not China

Dutch Imported Chinese to Taiwan

Dutch believed Chinese brought wealth: “The Chinese are the only bees on Formosa that give honey.” (Dutch governor Nicholas Verburg).Chinese made money because of Dutch military and administrative structure (Andrade)

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Taiwan’s 6 colonial regimes: 1624-1988

1. the Dutch (1624-1662), 2. the Spanish (1626-1642), who ruled in

north Taiwan simultaneously with the Dutch,

3. the Zheng (Cheng) family (1662-1683), 4. the Manchu Qing (Ch’ing) empire

(1683-1895), 5. the Japanese (1895-1945), and 6. the authoritarian Chinese Nationalist

regime (1945-1988)6

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Definition of “Colonial Regime”

“Rule by outsiders for the benefit of the outsiders”Su Beng ( 史明 )

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The Zheng Regime as Colonialists

Zheng Chenggong 鄭成功 , aka Koxinga 國姓爺Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)Southern Ming (rump to 1662)Zheng Regime colonial: used Dutch institutions, population less than aboriginesStatus of independent, trading nation 8

Page 9: Taiwan is not China

The Manchus as ColonialistsBefore 1683, Taiwan never belonged to either China or Manchus (Manchu emperors)Manchu empire was Manchu, not ChineseChina and Taiwan were separate colonies of Manchu EmpireManchus not control aborigines1867: US Consul signed treaty with aboriginal chief 9

Page 10: Taiwan is not China

Five Parallels : Japan and Kuomintang (1945-1988)

1. Systematic discrimination against Taiwanese

2. Killed lots of Taiwanese early3. 25 years of strong oppression4. Owing to domestic and international

factors, some liberalization5. Renewed repressionNo democratization and no Taiwanization

under both regimes.10

Page 11: Taiwan is not China

Taiwanization (bentuhua 本土化 )

No colonial regime allowed Taiwanese to push their Taiwan identityTaiwanization ≠ Democratization (though closely linked)Being Taiwanese increasingly means “I am not Chinese”Taiwan NOT a sub-culture of China

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Manifestations of Taiwanization

Eat Taiwan foods (e.g. sweet potato gruel) (hanji muai 番薯糜 in Hokkien)Interest in Taiwan history, society, literature and language (soaring publications in these areas after 1988)Taiwanization increasingly important in politics after 1988 12

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Increasing Taiwan Identity

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Taiwan Attitudes Toward ChinaTable 2: Taiwanese Attitudes Towards Independence and Unification (June 2011)Status Combined Status %

Independence as soon as possible 5.8

Maintain status quo, move toward independence

17.4

Toward Independence 23.2

Maintain status quo indefinitely 26.8

Maintain status quo, decide at later date 33.3

Toward Status Quo 60.1

Maintain status quo, move toward unification

8.7

Unification as soon as possible 1.4

Toward Unification 10.1

Non-response 6.6

Total 100.014

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Racialism in Cross-Strait Relations

President Ma Ying-jeou inauguration speech, 2008Chinese White Paper, 20007th of Jiang Zemin’s 8 points (1995)Hu Jintao’s 6 points (2008)Modern DNA research show no one Han Chinese group

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Taiwan’s Democratization

Asia: only India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan (though Indonesia and Mongolia some steps)Gives Taiwan widespread support15-20% swing (mobile) voters so elections swing back and forth.

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Reframing TaiwanHistory demonstrates Unification (or falsely, Reunification)/Independence is wrong framingTaiwan is decolonizing (as it is democratizing). Decolonization creates many more potential allies in world“One China” framework set under Chiang Kai-shek and Chiang Ching-kuo when Taiwanese had no say. Unification/Independence leftover from colonial past. 17

Page 18: Taiwan is not China

International Law: StatesConvention on Rights and Duties of States (signed Montevideo, 1933)Article 1: A state has “a ) a permanent population; b ) a defined territory; c ) government; and d) capacity to enter into relations with the other states”.Article 3: “The political existence of the state is independent of recognition by the other states”. Taiwan is clearly a “state”.

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Conclusions

Taiwan is a state.Taiwan is Taiwan, not ChinaTaiwan should face future of “decolonization”, not “unity/independence” (already independent state)Thus, should get more international support in future.

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