To: Taiwanese-Americans, Taiwanese, Chinese, the literate world, and most directly; the American people,

Politics are impersonal. Therefore, I have decided to write an epistle directly to the people regarding the current status of Taiwan. I do warn readers that this may be appear brusque, but please note that being offended at the truth is denial of it.

1. The Situation:

Taiwan has been stuck in a sort of limbo for decades and one decade is too long. It waits in the midst of a status quo that is better described as a form of national stasis. In this story there are three players: the United States, China and Taiwan. It should be clear that two of the three entities listed have no right to determine the existence of the third; Taiwan, yet the political tug-o-war persists. As will be discussed, the island has become the personification of the histories of the United States and China, histories that those countries should not wish to repeat.

2. The Experiential History of the United States

The United States views Taiwan in the light that is uniquely American, in which life and freedom are highly valued but over which the thundercloud of the American Civil War looms. Immediately after the election of Abraham Lincoln, the majority of southern American states seceded from the Union to form a nation called the Confederate States of America (CSA). Although the CSA had elected a president and began printing its own money, the entity was never recognized by the world to any significant degree as an independent nation-state. This was unimportant, however, due to the events that followed secession which were: war, the annihilation of the infrastructure, an end to the de facto Independence of the CSA, complete emancipation of slaves, restoration of the Union, and a damaged sense of national pride. This experience was one of the most important events in the history of the world, considering its implications and with this being the closest parallel the U.S. can show experience, what parallels we draw here are flawed for a number of reasons. For the sake of brevity, we will simply point out that the CSA was in all senses a region of an existing country and had attempted independence with the notion that the cornerstone of the Confederacy was inequality* while Taiwan, an outlying island, does not reflect similar enough circumstances for that level of comparison.

3. The Experiential History of China and The Current Position

What the world knows now as China has a divided history of kingdoms usurping kingdoms and territorial capriciousness. Tibet, Hong Kong, Western and Southern China are some of the hot buttons that trigger aggressive rhetoric and defensiveness. This alludes to the fact that China as a state was never actually in control of Taiwan. The Qing Dynasty had once claimed the honor but was unable to literally control the island, with no capacity to administer to the island. The Qing Empire even received complaints regarding aggression by some of the island's population against foreign powers. During a war with Japan, to avoid invasion of the mainland, the Qing Dynasty gave Taiwan to Japan. World War II struck and Japan attacked the United States, drawing America openly into the war. Upon surrender, Japan was instructed to have all troops in Taiwan surrender to the Republic of China, however a civil war in China forced the Kuomintang (KMT, nationalist party, representing the Republic of China) onto the island of Taiwan, leaving the victorious Communist party (represented by the People's Republic of China) in control of the mainland. Due to the civil war in progress, Japan did not mention who Taiwan's sovereignty was surrendered to but stipulated that the United States was the primary occupying power in Taiwan, legally and formally, a territory belonging to Japan. China's grasp on this situation is that Japan's aggression was wrongful against the Qing Empire and that the Qing Empire WAS China. The Chinese Civil War was still in its throes then and never truly ended. The democratic island of Taiwan remains de facto independent and the communist mainland of China enjoys world recognition as a de jure nation, in which Taiwan is a "rouge province" that must be reinstituted with their "One China Policy" and “any means of force necessary”**. Today, the world has tersely turned its back on Taiwan, switching its recognition of “China” from the ROC to the PRC, without even allowing for the recognition of both. And what's worse is that China possesses nuclear arms which makes “any means of force necessary” ring all the louder in one's ear. The tens of millions of people on Taiwan find themselves at the end of the Chinese fission gun and behind it lurks the gloom of the history of draconian communist rule.

4. The Wills and The Ways

The fear of one major power (PRC) is abated by the protection of a super power (USA), as provided by the Taiwan Relations Act which is a public law in the United States. The extent of this law is not merely arms sales but the protection of the island as if it were a state in the Union. While maintaining a threatening stance toward Taiwan, China adheres to a "one China" policy and aggressive expansionism into nations that may or may not want their rule based on loose historic ties. The will of China to be in direct control of Taiwan is the end to which the way of threatening war is the means. This stance is purely ethno-ego driven with no legitimate ties to Taiwan. The will of the United States is to keep the status quo until something can be worked out in compromise, even if it means that the Taiwanese people find themselves "wrongfully imprisoned" in a limbo between their aspirations and Communist China's, which are principally different and incompatible; this is the unending end of open conflict that the U.S. hopes will eventually spawn a solution. The means of this is the law. Both China and the United States vow to keep to their guns, literally and figuratively, to the use of force if necessary. It's evident that the will of the United States and the will of China are mutually exclusive and doomed to erode to nil. The final conclusion would inevitably be that China exercises military force to take Taiwan and the United States exercises military force to defend it. Either way, Taiwan loses; and quite possibly the rest of the world as well.

5. My Opinion

It's clear to me that the One China policy is evidence that the civil war is still going if even only in propaganda. If there is one China, there are certainly two powers claiming it. There is an inevitable war brewing, whether intentionally or otherwise, that puts Taiwan in the cross fire. The island in contest is, ironically, being ignored. The people of Taiwan, as well as the rest of the world, have the right of self-determination. An empire clamoring for more and more, resources and land, infringes on the civil rights of a people who were never a party to Communist China to begin with. It has been the way of the United States throughout history to protect freedom and preserve democracy in all lands (for better or for worse). Even if that freedom is to choose not to be free. Clearly, here, Taiwan's will is to be free but in doing so, the United States would no longer be legally obligated to defend the island. This gap would quickly be taken advantage of by China and a very bloody but brief encounter would be marked in the pages of history as "The Short Lived History of the Independent Nation of Taiwan". The state of Texas was looking down the barrel of the reinvigorated Mexican army as its border disputes remained front-and-center when it was finally accepted as a state in the Union. After acceptance, Mexico attacked a U.S. patrol sparking off the war, as it had intended to eventually retake the “rouge territory” of the Republic of Texas, and the United States rose up and crushed the Mexican army in what is known as the Mexican American war. Taiwan is now at the verge of war and inching closer by the day. Blood could be shed but a more peaceful and wise solution is available: statehood in the United States.

If the protection of the United States has thus far defended Taiwan from invasion and helped bolster the economy, imagine the mutual benefits of Taiwan joining the Union. Here are some arguments that you may have along with the most evident responses:

A1. It's too far away.

A2. They don't speak English.

A3. They're Chinese, not American.

R1. Guam happens to be in the same longitude as the northern island of Japan! Our friends from Guam have little trouble coming here and us Americans in the contiguous 48 states do not have trouble going to Guam, or Hawaii, or Alaska, or Asian countries. In fact, those of us who make frequent trips to Asia would find that Taiwan as a state would provide a much deeper discount on airline prices and a beautiful stop for vacation or layover.

R2. Originally, the people who settled in Louisiana did not speak English, they spoke French. This is still reflected in the state today which does not have counties; it has parishes. Many of the city names are French, and a completely original dialect is centered there. Many of our Hispanic friends and neighbors were raised speaking Spanish and many immigrants who came to the United States did not speak English. It is likely that your ancestors did not speak a word of English before arriving in the United States. One should also note that when children are born, they certain do not speak English. It is true that English is the international language and with this in mind people should not feel as though they will lose English in the United States. If anything, English will blossom in Taiwan for a better economy and social ties.

R3. Sure, they may be part Chinese and there's nothing wrong with that. Many of our friends may be Chinese or part Chinese. This effort at separating “us” from “them” is moot when remembering where our forefathers came from; mostly from all over Europe, many from Africa, some from Asia. But by far these three overshadow the native population. And the native population are the only ones who can really say “us” and “them”. Ethnicity is irrelevant in today's world, it is culture that makes one American or Chinese or European or African or otherwise.

The implications and the factual concrete outcomes of Taiwanese statehood are numerous and overwhelmingly beneficial. The United States is just that, a Union of States. The term state meaning: an independent governmental entity. However, we are all unified under a federal constitution and a national government. The term national meaning: an independent society of people. The American nation is a union of nations; of Ohioans, Californians, New Yorkers, Texans and why not Formosans (Formosa being another name for Taiwan)?

6. Why Taiwan?

The answers to “why?” are numerous and many of the answers are dire in their urgency. First, one should understand the financial implications. Initially the most obvious benefit is a boost in tax revenue by 23 million people. For the Taiwanese, there's a 350 million person tax increase. How would you like to get more back in your tax return and see better social programs? Better schools? Better hospitals? Of course, this would also mean that there are more people taking funds from these services but consider that Taiwan's GDP of roughly $450 billion and a healthy growth rate shows that the island has entrepreneurial strengths like that of the United States and would be ranked the 9th largest in Gross State Product (just below #8 Ohio and just above #10 Virginia). The less obvious benefits may not be as quickly perceived as the great financial and investment opportunities but are just as important, if not more.

Taiwan is suffering from a bully across the strait; China. China consistently threatens the island and even has more than 700 ballistic missiles targeting the island. Why has China not attacked yet to “retake” the island? I mentioned before that the Taiwan Relations Act, a public law here, provides that we must protect Taiwan in the event of war. China is not willing to jump into that ring so it is content with threatening until either the U.S. releases itself from the duty to protect Taiwan or until, essentially, no one is looking. If Taiwan were a state, China would be faced with a dilemma: retract all of the false claims it has to Taiwan and move on, or be trounced by a U.S. war machine. Any true peace loving society would certainly allow Taiwan to make its own choice rather than fight and lose to have its own choice overshadowed by the will of others. No man goes to his neighbor and says “You and I are similar and share a distant great uncle. Therefore I claim you and your house and you must now live under my rules”. That notion alone is ridiculous, but when you consider the atrocious lack of human rights in mainland China, it becomes clear that Taiwan is on the same moral footing as the United States regarding individual freedom. Back to the bully; if the U.S. were to have a military base or two in the new state of Taiwan, not only would China be inclined to tone down its posturing and bullying but the rest of the Asia-Pacific community as well. The bases currently in Asian nations could be consolidated and tensions in those host nations eased. These are the implications of peace. The United States has been, for decades, a symbol of justice and what many consider the “world police”. In defending Taiwan, the United States is defending the rest of Asia. No other nation in modern times can claim and maintain the responsibility of keeping peace in lands that are in other hemispheres. And in modern times, this has become increasingly more difficult just because of that distance. Here, the distance can be negated with the help of Taiwan, a partner in peace. Some would say “It would be imperialistic for the United States to exist in two hemispheres”, and again we look to Guam, which is in the eastern hemisphere. It would be prudent to also point to Alaska, which includes the Aleutian Islands which extend out and nearly touch Russia. It's not a matter of imperialism when both sides consent it becomes a matter of peaceful partnership. This is the only real way to provide for China leaving the besieged and internationally abandoned Taiwanese people alone.

7. In Conclusion

To conclude, let us recall the inscription on a statue that was given to the U.S. by a foreign people which has now become one of many symbols that the United States stands for:

The New Colossus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
with conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
a mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame,
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
with silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
- Emma Lazarus

The people of Taiwan find themselves in a situation in which they can turn and walk toward the gallows erected to execute and eliminate their freedom, or they can turn and approach the “golden door”. Where they stand now is the road to freedom and independence, but it's just a road, on which there are two destinations. The United States turned its back on oppression, and in many other forms throughout its history as well the peaceful and civilized world has done the same. What we must do now is show the Formosan people that there is another way and to allow them their right to choose liberty.

by Christopher Jewells

* CSA Vice President Alexander Stephens' “Corner Stone” speech.
** Paraphrased from China's Anti-Secession Law