Taiwanese nationalism
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Taiwanese nationalism (
History and development
No one can confirm when the concept of localism has started. Some say when the first large wave of Han people emigrated from mainland China to Taiwan in the mid-16th century, they must have wanted to maintain some independence from the control of the ruling class in their original hometown. Others say that only when the Kingdom of Tungning, with its capital at Tainan, was built by the Zheng family in 1662, did this concept appear.
Most Chinese contemporary scholars of mainland China believe the roots of the localist movement began during the
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the KMT began a period of education reform, including a lift on Hokkien restrictions in schools and the restoration of previously suppressed private schooling. However, these private schools were staffed by regime loyalists and reliant upon government funding for support, meaning that they often provided the same program of political and cultural indoctrination as public schools. Furthermore, while speaking Hokkien in schools or military bases was no longer illegal, few opportunities were available for its use, as Mandarin continued to be the state-approved lingua franca.[1]
In the 1970s and 1980s there was a shift in power away from the KMT to people native to Taiwan. This, combined with cultural liberalization and the increasing remoteness of the possibility of retaking mainland China, led to a cultural and political movement which emphasized a Taiwan-centered view of history and culture rather than one which was China-centered or even, as before 1946, Japan-centered. Localism was strongly supported by President Lee Teng-hui.
The Bentuhua movement was sparked in the mid-1970s with the growing expression of ethnic discontent due to unequal distribution of political and cultural power between mainlanders and Taiwanese people. Beginning in the 1960s, Taiwan was enveloped by the problems of rapid industrial development, rural abandonment, labor disputes and the uneven distribution of access to wealth and social power. These changes, combined with the loss of several key allies, forced the KMT regime to institute limited reforms. The reforms permitted under Chiang Ching-kuo allowed indigenization to increase as leading dissidents generated a response to the government's failures. Rubenstein (2007) credits Chiang for beginning Taiwanization as Premier. The dissident groups, united under the
The Taiwanese cultural elite fully promoted the development of Xiang tu literature and cultural activities, including rediscovering Taiwanese nativist literature written under Japanese colonial rule. The tangwai movement revived symbols of Taiwanese resistance to Japanese rule in the effort to mobilize ethnic Taiwanese. The opposition to the KMT's China-centered cultural policies resulted in dissidents crafting new national-historical narratives that placed the island of Taiwan itself at the center of the island's history. The Taiwanese emerged as a frequently colonized and often oppressed people. The concept of bentuhua was finally expressed in the cultural domain in the premise of Taiwan as a place with a unique society, culture and history. This principle has been largely adopted for understanding Taiwan's cultural representation and expressed in a variety of cultural activities, including music, film and the literary and performing arts.
The pressures of indigenization and the growing acceptance of a unique Taiwanese cultural identity have met opposition from more conservative elements of Taiwan society. Critics argue that the new perspective creates a “false” identity rooted in ethnic nationalism as opposed to an “authentic” Chinese identity, which is primordial and inherent. Many mainlanders living on Taiwan complain that their own culture is marginalized by bentuhua, and initially expressed fear of facing growing alienation. In the past decade these complaints have subsided somewhat as Taiwan increasingly views itself as a pluralistic society that embraces many cultures and recognizes the rights of all citizens.
In the mid-to-late 1990s, gestures toward localism were increasingly adopted by pan-blue figures who, while supporting the Chinese nationalism of Chiang Kai-shek, saw it as appropriate, or at least advisable, to display more appreciation for cultures of Taiwan. Pan-blue politicians such as James Soong, the former head of the Government Information Office who once oversaw the limitation of Taiwanese dialects, began speaking in Hoklo on semi-formal occasions.
Taiwanization
Efforts have been made by the
Origin
At the end of
With the end of martial law in 1987 and the introduction of democracy in the 1990s after the Wild Lily student movement, an effort began to re-assert Taiwanese identity and culture while trying to get rid of many Chinese influences imposed by the Kuomintang.
Education and language campaign
In 2000, then-ROC president Lee Teng-hui began making statements such as "Taiwan culture is not a branch of Chinese culture" and "Taiwan's Minnan dialect is not a branch of Fujian's Min-nan, dialect but rather a 'Taiwan dialect'[4] Taiwan radio and TV increased their Taiwanese Hokkien programming.[4] These efforts were perceived in China as initial efforts towards breaking the ties between Taiwan culture and Chinese culture by downplaying the long-term Chinese cultural and historic identification in that region.[4]
In April 2003, the
The textbook issue was raised in November 2004, when a group of lawmakers, legislative candidates and supporters of the pro-independence
The proposals to revise Taiwan's history textbooks were condemned in February 2007 by the
Name change campaign
Between 2002 and 2007, the ROC government under Chen Shui-bian took steps to revise the terms "China", "Republic of China", "Taipei", and others that impart an association with the Chinese culture.[13][14][15][16]
In 2002, the "Name Rectification Campaign" made significant advances in replacing the terms "China", "Republic of China", or "Taipei" with the term "Taiwan" on official documents, in the names of Taiwan-registered organizations, companies, and public enterprises on the island, and in the names of businesses stationed abroad.
Campaigning in this area continued in March 2006, where the Democratic Progressive Party sought to change the Republic of China year designation used in Taiwan to the Gregorian calendar.[19] Instead of the year 2006 being referred to as the "95th year of the ROC"—with the 1912 founding of the Republic of China being referred to as "the first year of the ROC"—the year 2006 would be identified as 2006 in official usage such as on banknotes, IDs, national health insurance cards, driver's licenses, diplomas and wedding certificates.[19] This was viewed as the government trying another angle for desinicization by removing any trace of China from Taiwan.[19]
In February 2007, the term "China" was replaced by the term "Taiwan" on Taiwan postage stamps to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the
In March 2007, the name plate of the
Supporters[
Constitutional and political campaign
From the perspective of the ROC constitution, which the mainstream political parties such as the KMT and DPP currently respect and recognize, changing the ROC's governing status or completely clarifying Taiwan's political status would at best require amending the ROC constitution. Passing an amendment requires approval from three-quarters of a quorum of members of the Legislative Yuan. This quorum requires at least three-quarters of all members of the Legislature. After passing the legislature, the amendments need ratification from at least fifty percent of all eligible voters of the ROC, irrespective of voter turnout.
In October 2003, President
Taiwan is an independent sovereign country, but a lot of people do not think of Taiwan as a country and do not dare to call Taiwan an independent sovereign nation, which is quite abnormal. ... Taiwan must not fall into the trap of being regarded as part of China, or become a special region of China like Hong Kong.[23][additional citation(s) needed]
In response, the Pan-Blue Coalition within Taiwan sought to portray President Chen Shui-bian and his Democratic Progressive Party as radicals intent on implementing revolutionary desinicization that would disenfranchise various ethnic groups within Taiwan who have an affinity for China and the Chinese culture.[24]
In February 2007, the
Other campaign
In March 2007, it was noted that the destruction of the
In July 2007, President Chen Shui-bian announced that he would allow mainland Chinese diplomas or students into Taiwan during the rest of his presidential term.[27] This, however, was not achieved.
Impact
One phenomenon that has resulted from the localist movement is the advent of
In April 2002, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) noted both active efforts on the part of Taiwan to push ahead its localist policy and intensify United States-Taiwan military cooperation. In response, the CCP publicly reminded its military to be prepared to achieve its goal of "Chinese reunification" (intended to mean making Taiwan a part of the People's Republic of China) through military means. In addition, the CCP sought assistance from the United States to address the matter with Taiwan. As part of making the upcoming U.S. visit by then vice-president Hu Jintao go smoothly, the United States cautioned the Chen Shui-bian administration not to "go too far" in cross-Strait relations.[28]
In April 2005, the
Support and opposition
Significant outcries surfaced both within Taiwan and abroad opposing the concept of Taiwan localization in the early years after President
The opposing voices were subsequently confined to the fringe in the mid-2000s Taiwan itself. Issues persist, particularly supporters of the
In mainland China, the
Nowadays, another source of significant opposition to the localist movement remains in the
In Hong Kong, Taiwanese localist movements have pushed localization or pro-Chinese Communist tilts among the traditionally pro-Republic of China individuals and organizations. A prominent example is Chu Hai College, whose academic degree programs were recognized officially by the Hong Kong SAR government in May 2004, and registered as an "Approved Post-secondary College" with the Hong Kong SAR government since July of the same year. It has since been renamed the Chu Hai College of Higher Education (珠海學院) and no longer registered with the Republic of China's Ministry of Education. New students from 2004 have been awarded degrees in the right of Hong Kong rather than Taiwan.
Role in domestic politics
Even though it is a broad consensus currently regarding the overall ideology of localism, there are still deep disputes over practical policies between the three main political groups of
See also
- Similar cases such as
- Taiwanese people
- History of Taiwan
- Liberal ethnic nationalism
- Pan-Green Coalition
- Taiwan independence movement
- Taiwanese literature movement
- Sinocentrism
- Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale
References
- S2CID 225917190.
- ^ Dreyer, June Teufel (17 July 2003). Taiwan's Evolving Identity. Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
In order to shore up his government's legitimacy, Chiang set about turning Taiwan's inhabitants into Chinese. To use Renan's terminology, Chiang chose to re-define the concept of shared destiny to include the mainland. Streets were re-named; major thoroughfares in Taipei received names associated with the traditional Confucian virtues. The avenue passing in front of the foreign ministry en route to the presidential palace was named chieh-shou (界壽), meaning "long live Chiang Kai-shek. Students were required to learn Mandarin and speak it exclusively; those who disobeyed and spoke Taiwanese, Hakka, or aboriginal tongues could be fined, slapped, or subjected to other disciplinary actions.
- ^ "Starting Anew on Taiwan". Hoover Institution. 2008. Archived from the original on 2009-04-08. Retrieved 2009-06-05.
The new KMT concluded that it must "Sinicize" Taiwan if it were ever to unify mainland China. Textbooks were designed to teach young people the dialect of North China as a national language. Pupils also were taught to revere Confucian ethics, to develop Han Chinese nationalism, and to accept Taiwan as a part of China.
- ^ a b c Huining, Zhuang; Haixia, Huang. (19 March 2001) World News Connection Hoping for an Early Completion of the Great Cause of National Reunification. China's NPC Deputies, CPPCC Members on Cross-Strait Reunification Viewed.
- ^ World News ConnectionTaiwan Strait Observation: Taiwan Authorities Are Suppressing 'Mandarin' and Promoting 'Cultural Taiwan Independence.'
- World News ConnectionTsu Lawmakers Call For Taiwan-centric History Textbooks.
- ^ People's Daily Online (11 November 2004) Islanders Criticize Taiwan Authorities' Outline of New History Course. Archived 2012-10-01 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Chieh-yu, Lin. (19 November 2004) Taipei Times Chen says he's open-minded when it comes to history. Archived 2019-04-07 at the Wayback Machine Page 3.
- Taiwan Headlines Education Minister Denies Accusations On Textbooks.[permanent dead link]
- Beijing Jiefangjun Bao (1 February 2007) Chinese State Council Taiwan Affairs Office Condemns Taiwan Authorities Revising History Textbooks as Desinicization Move. Archived 2011-07-20 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ China Post (22 July 2007) Ministry of Education study concludes 5,000 textbook terms 'unsuitable'. Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ China Post (23 July 2007) Opposition slams Taiwan denial textbook censorship desinicization campaign.
- ^ World News ConnectionTa Kung Pao Editorial Criticizes Forces Promoting 'Taiwan' as Official Name. Rectification of Taiwan's Name' Is Actually for the Sake of Pursuing 'Taiwan Independence.
- ^ China Post (8 February 2007) The DPP's Cultural Revolution.
- ^ China Post (11 February 2007) The name-change fever.
- ^ Hsiu-chuan, Shih. (21 March 2007) Taipei Times Wu's transfer to US upsets pan-blues. Archived 2019-04-07 at the Wayback Machine Page 3.
- World News ConnectionWhat 'Convenience' Does the Addition of 'Taiwan' Provide? Column Criticizes Decision to Add 'Taiwan' to Passports.
- ^ Shu-ling, Ko. (4 January 2005) Taipei Times Using Westernized writing format isn't an issue: premier. Archived 2019-04-07 at the Wayback Machine Page 2.
- ^ World News ConnectionTaiwan Lawmakers Say Changing Year Designation To Cost Nearly $309 Million.
- ^ China Post (14 February 2007) Desinicization likely to continue.
- Taiwan Headlines. Cgj Not To Deal With Name Change Constitutionality Issue.
- Taiwan Headlines Taiwan Embassies, Representative Offices in Latin America Replace Name Plates. Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ World News ConnectionPresident Wants Constitution That Fits Taiwan People.
- World News ConnectionPan-Blue Portraying Green Camp As "Radical"
- ^ a b c China Post (8 February 2007) DPP urges probe to 'uncover truth' of 2–28.
- ^ Ting-wei, Ku. (12 March 2007) Taipei Times Picking and chosing [sic] the history we want to keep. Archived 2019-04-07 at the Wayback Machine Page 8.
- ^ Taipei Times (24 July 2007) Chen's Diploma Policy Is Backward. Archived 2019-04-07 at the Wayback Machine Page 8.
- World News ConnectionU.S. Cautions Taiwan Not To "Go Too Far" in Cross-Strait Relations.
- ^ People's Daily Online (30 April 2005) A moment that goes down in history. Archived 2012-10-01 at the Wayback Machine
- World News ConnectionHu Jintao, Lien Chan Hold 'Formal Talks;' Exchange Views on Developing Cross-Strait Ties.
2. Tzeng, Shih-jung, 2009. From Honto Jin to Bensheng Ren- the Origin and Development of the Taiwanese National Consciousness, University Press of America.