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Taiwan is not a part of China
We, the Taiwanese-Canadian Association, wish to draw your attention to the threat of China against Taiwan as a sovereign state and to seek your support for Taiwan as an independent state which represents a model of democracy outside the Western world. Our Association is made up of people of Taiwanese heritage who have immigrated to Canada or were born in Canada to Taiwanese parents. We write, not as political scientists or professional historians but as ordinary people from our knowledge, learning, and first-hand experience, and most of all, our sincerity and hope to save democracy.
As you are aware, China, the People’s Republic of China has long claimed Taiwan as its territory and demanded: “national reunification” with Taiwan. Now, Chinese President, Xi Jinping, is intensifying the claim threatening to invade Taiwan brutally should it dare to declare independence.
We wish to assert that Taiwan is not a part of China and the proposal for its “unification” with China is absurd. History will verify that Taiwan is not a territory of China and residents of Taiwan are not Chinese. Taiwan is an island off China in China Sea. Aboriginals had always dwelled in Taiwan. They were joined during the 12th century by those who rebelled against the ruling of the Chinese dynasty and settled in Taiwan. These rebels, led by Cheng Chen-Kung, along with the aboriginals are the ancestors of most of the current Taiwanese people. These Taiwanese were joined by the third group who retreated to Taiwan along with the Kuomingtang, a then political party in China, who escaped from the communists in China and named Taiwan as the Republic of China in 1949. Since then, Taiwan has evolved into an integrated state distinct from China in people, culture, and even language.
Taiwan especially differs from China in the political system. Since 1990, Taiwan has become a democratic country, in contrast to the dictatorship of China. Taiwan is thus a land of aboriginals and people who rebelled against Chinese rule. Taiwan also has is a democratic system as opposed to the dictatorship of China. Taiwan is thus a vastly distinct state from China. No other countries but Taiwanese themselves have the right to Taiwan’s sovereignty.
However, to reach its territorial aggression against Taiwan, China has applied all sorts of strategies. Daily artillery shelling of Taiwan began in 1949 until 1979 when it began to change its strategies. While military threats have reduced, diplomatic isolation of Taiwan from the world community has been a mainstay. Most recently, China has expanded the economic isolation of Taiwan by requiring its Western trading partners such as airlines, hotels, and clothing industry in Canada and the US to affix China to Taiwan/Taipei destination. In this way, China is forcing Western countries to informally recognize Taiwan as its territory. People in Taiwan have had to endure harassment and aggression from China on a daily basis since 1949 with no end in sight.
Pertinent to the free world, Taiwan is strategically and economically crucial to Asia and important to the US and Canada and the free world as a whole. Taiwan forms a chain of countries and regions in East Asia which may have served a shield against the ever-increasing Chinese aggression in territorial expansion and economic power in the world. The shield naturally provides security to the US and Canada. Losing Taiwan to China would break that chain and threaten the security of the US and Canada. By supporting Taiwan as an independent state, US and Canada would help save the free world from being dominated by China and would guard themselves.
Therefore, we humbly ask you, Members of Parliament and Members of the Legislative Assembly, and the Government of Canada to support Taiwan as an independent state. As a further step, Canada and the US and other free countries would best support the admission of Taiwan to world organizations such as the United Nations initially as observers and others such as WHO, WTO, and the Olympics as a regular member. We urge Canadians to oppose Chinese coercion to affix China to the name of Taiwan or Taipei in their trades and business. Failure to do so could only incorrectly and, hence, accidentally give recognition of Chinese illegitimate territorial claim and thus encourage further Chinese aggression – most likely toward other regions as well.
We learned that there exists today in Canada an organization called “the Federation of Chinese Canadians for the Promotion of Chinese National Reunification”. The honorary chairman is a major donor to Canadian politicians at all levels of government. As Taiwanese-Canadians, we repudiate such an organization and its un-Canadian act to aid China to take over Taiwan and hence to destroy its democracy and constitution which are absent in China. We urge Canadians and their political and constitutional representatives like you to support Taiwan in its struggle to maintain its status as a democratic and free country.
Please don’t let Taiwan and its 23 million people become a second Hong Kong whose people have lost freedom since its takeover by China. Please do not let Taiwan become another Uighurs who are interned and prosecuted by the Chinese government for being a minority religious group in China. Nation-wide, politicians in Canada may resist the bribery in the form of political donations given by such organizations or individuals who lobby for the illegitimate claim of China against Taiwan and who thus promote more Chinese aggression. We believe that an independent Taiwan would mean a stronger free world and a more secure Canada.
Thank you for your kind attention to our view and support for democracy for Taiwan.
Sincerely yours,
Douglas Chiang
President, Taiwanese-Canadian Association
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