Wait a second, has Taiwan really existed as an independent sovereign nation for 100 years already? Is Taiwan an independent country despite what the people from PRC (People’s Republic of China) say about us? If you are as perplexed about the political status and national identity of Taiwan as most of people in the world are, you should definitely keep reading this blog because I am NOT going to discuss ANYTHING political at all.
Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the Father of ROC
Not that I don’t care about Taiwan’s future (otherwise, I wouldn’t have moved back from the U.S. just to serve in the Taiwanese Air Force instead of working in Dallas and watching my beloved RG3 setting Big 12 on fire). What I do know and what most of people in the world (including the most hardcore Communist party members from PRC) would agree on is that, 100 years ago, Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the Founding Father of modern China successfully overthrew Qing Dynasty, the last empirical dynasty of China. Prior the revolution in 1911, Qing Dynasty had ruled China for almost 3 centuries. However, it had become too weak and too corrupted in the late 19th century. Civil unrests such as Taiping Rebellion left many parts of China devastated and about 20 to 30 million Chinese died during 15 years of warfare. Seeing China as the next Africa ready to be exploited and armed with modern firearms and gunships, Western countries also prey on China and forced Qing Empire into a series of humiliating treaties.
Boxer rebellion, which Chinese mobs openly attacked and murdered Western ambassadors, missionaries and merchants under Qing Empire’s permission only infuriated Western countries. To avenge for the losses of their citizens’ lives and properties, Eight-Nation Alliance marched straight into Beijing, cleaned up the treasures of Forbidden City and forced Qing royal families into exile. Separately, Japan defeated Qing Empire during First Sino-Japanese War and Qing ceded Taiwan in full sovereignty to Japan in 1895 and Taiwan would be colonized by Japan for the next 5 decades.
Henry Pu Yi, the last emperor of China
Finally, a group of young Chinese who were educated overseas and heavily influenced by liberty and democracy long practiced in most of Western cultures decided that enough was enough for the Qing Empire. They wanted a revolution to end more than 2,000 years of empirical ruling in China. After having failed 10 times, Dr. Sun Yat-sen (according to some U.S. documentation, he also had a U.S. citizenship) successfully overthrew Qing Empire on October 10th, 1911.
The movie trailer of Chinese Revolution of 1911 feacturing Jackie Chan and 100 other Chinese celebrities
Ok, so the first people’s republic in East Asia was born, but what the hell does that have to do with Taiwan? After World War II ended, China quickly descended into an all-out civil war between Communist Party led by Mao Zedong and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) led by Chiang Kai-shek. Meanwhile, since Japan unconditionally surrendered to the Allies to end World War II, Japan was to return Taiwan back to the Chinese government which was still controlled by Chiang Kai-shek and KMT in 1945. So guess what? When Chiang and his men got their ass kicked by Chairman Mao, they got Taiwan to go as their last resort.
Chiang Kai-shek, somebody who clearly had sense of reality about international politics by claiming to rule the whole China from Taipei
Still considering themselves as the only legitimate governing regime over the WHOLE CHINA, Chiang Kai-shek and his family would rule Taiwan for the next 40 years under the name “Republic of China” despite the fact that they never set their feet again in China. So here we go: There are two governments who used to claim to be the only legitimate Chinese governing regime (ROC now only claims to the regime over Taiwan). PRC is legitimate, no question about it. What other ROC in Taiwan? Having her own military and central government, shouldn’t she also be considered as an independent sovereign nation by the rest of the world? That, my friends, is out of scope of this post.
The grand firework show at Taipei to celebrate the 100th birthday of ROC
All I know is this, I was born and raised in Taiwan. No matter how the rest of world thinks of it politically. Taiwan is my home and my country and I am proud to serve as a part of Taiwanese Air Force on the 100th anniversary of my country. But that is about to change very soon and that would be the story of my next post.
RGIII for president. Yes, I would vote for him to be the first Afican American president in Taiwan
