At a time when India, struggles to
call Mission Impossible-Fall Out’s bluff for carrying out wrong map of India
and calling “Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir” as “India- controlled
Kashmir”, China threatens 44 international airlines to fall in line and honour
its “One China Policy”. It is unfortunate that Central Board of Film
Certification (CBFC) hasn’t raised serious objections to the movie which has
churned out 56 crores from Indian markets in its first week of opening despite
depicting Kashmir wrongly. After mere four cuts, a disclaimer and some voice
over modifications, CBFC has allowed screening of the movie in India and hasn’t
bothered to press the producers to incorporate all these relevant changes in
the international version of movie screened across the World. The easy-going
attitude of India towards ill portrayal and negative propaganda, often
perceived as sign of weakness is in sharp contrast to China’s authoritarianism
that tolerates no non-sense. A cogent argument on art form or an act of fiction
be exempted from such tough scrutiny is beyond the scope of this article. But
this issue inadvertently compels us to capitulate China’s assiduous and
vigorous attempts of strangulating the independent identity of Taiwan, a
renegade province of China.
In first week of July, there was a
sudden surge of outrage when Indian government acceding to China’s demand
instructed Indian Airlines to change Taiwan’s name to Chinese Taipei.
Strategists castigated New Delhi for bending backwards to appease China. But
soon all other International Airlines including the American airlines- Delta,
United and American airlines fell in line by the set deadline of July 25th. This is just one classical example of how
China is trying to muzzle the independent existence of Taiwan.
Coercing Foreign Companies
Earlier in May, China has pulled up
cloth retailer Gap, for showing Chinese map with its territories- Taiwan, Tibet
and the Nine-dashed line of South China Sea (SCS). Gap
was forced to issue apology for failing to respect the sovereignty
and territorial integrity of China. In January, China
closed Marriot’s website for a week for showing Tibet, Hong Kong,
Taiwan and Macau as countries in online survey. To protect its business
interests in China, Marriot even now carries a message, “we never any
separatist organisation that harms China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
We apologise profoundly for any behaviour that will cause misunderstanding
about the above stance”.
Mercedes-Benz was forced to delete an Instagram post that carried a
quote of the Dalai-Lama, “Look at the situation from all angles, and you
will become more open”. Chinese Communist Party (CCP) considers Dalai-Lama
as a political agitator and terms him “wolf in monk’s clothing” and
Chinese people share similar sentiment. Within hours of the posting the
Instagram message an angry wave of outrage flooded the Mercedes account. Mercedes
immediately took to Weibo, Chinese microblogging channel to issue a
lengthy apology saying, “in light of this, we will immediately take measures
to deepen our understanding of Chinese values and culture, including our
overseas colleagues, to ensure this won’t happen again”. A week ago, Google
announced plans to launch a new censored search
engine that complied with Chinese ideology.
Of late, China is pursuing a
muscular “One-China Policy” and coercion has become its favourite tool to
impose strict adherence to Chinese rules and laws on foreign companies. Clearly
at a time, when the world is busy with North Korea denuclearisation, sham
elections games of Pakistan, Islamabad’s IMF bailout plans, sinking Iraqi Rial
and trade tariff wars between China and US, simmering crisis in Taiwan Straits
has escaped global attention.
Stifling Democracy in Hong Kong
China’s attempts to stifle
democracy, free speech has reached a new crescendo after President Xi Jinping
assumed charge. The tremors of such aggressive efforts to assert control over
autonomous regions like Tibet and Xinjiang reached threatening proportions in
his regime. Since transfer of sovereignty to China, Hong Kong began to feel the
heat of Chinese authoritarianism which escalated in 2012 with the election of
Chief executive in CY Leung. After China refused to introduce Universal
Suffrage and thrusted a restrictive democracy, pro-democrats launched sit-in
protests famously termed as Umbrella Movement in 2014 rocked Hong Kong. Beijing
crushed the democratic movement with iron hand. Undeterred students the
launched “Occupy Central”. But Beijing refused to give in and barred
pro-democracy candidates from contesting in legislative council and intervened
in Hong Kong court’s decision to remove pro-democratic leaders for taking oath
improperly. In some cases, it prevailed on universities to bar students who
participated in these protests from universities. Recently, it influenced the
courts to hand over seven years jail sentence to all the pro-democracy,
pro-independence leaders. In 2017, several business leaders mysteriously
disappeared showed up in Chinese custody. Eventually, China placed a
pro-Beijing Chief Executive in Hongkong and strangulated democratic movement.
Chinese Dream
Within a month of taking over as
President Xi gave a clarion call of “the great rejuvenation of the Chinese
nation” and announced two centennial goals. First to build a “moderately
prosperous society” and second, making China “fully developed, rich and
powerful nation”. Above all Xi infused a new enthusiasm and adroitly
adopted a muscular vision to reclaim past greatness. To realise these goals, Xi believed that CCP
should take over the territories of greater China which includes Tibet,
Xinjiang, Hongkong and China. He urged Chinese not to forget “Century of
humiliation” and vowed to reinstate the civilizational credence of being
centre of Universe or the “Middle Kingdom” meaning lying in the space
between the heaven and earth. Xi tightened control over political discourse and
called for ideological conformity and brought about unprecedented changes
through reshuffling of bureaucracy, reorganising military and taking strictest
action against graft. Simultaneously, in a bid to protect the country from
maritime conflict, Xi stressed the need for controlling the seas within “first
island chain” that runs through Japan, Taiwan, Philippines and South China
Sea. Overpowered by the indomitable will of realising Chinese Dream, Xi
ratcheted pressure campaign against Taiwan. Instead of trying to win hearts of
Taiwanese for a prospective reunification, China employed coercion.
Republic of China (ROC), Taiwan
Ever since Tsai-Ing wen of
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) became President of Taiwan in 2016, China intensified
diplomatic strangulation. From 1949 Taiwan, a renegade province of China has
been a self-governing political entity. Chiang Kai-shek of Kuomintang (KMT)
after losing the civil war to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) led by Mao
Zedong, exiled to Taiwan in 1949. He ruled over Taiwan, called it Republic of
China (ROC) until his death in 1975. Chiang insisted that his government
represented the Chinese of the island and mainland. The West and other
Communist countries for long, countries heeded Chiang’s claims and refused to
recognise PRC. Taiwan currently a home to 23 million people was annexed in
1600s by Qing Dynasty who ceded this island to Japanese after their defeat at
Sino-Japan war of 1895. The island remained under Japanese control till the end
of World War-II 1945 when Tokyo was convincingly defeated by allied powers.
Japan handed over Taiwan to military forces of ROC led by Chiang. In
recognition of victory over the Axis forces in 1945, ROC joined UN as the
founding member.
Cross-Straits Relations
After Outer Mongolia gaining
independence in 1961 and Albania’s UN General Assembly resolution 1668, that
called for replacing ROC with PRC at UNSC won two-thirds vote, ROC lost its
diplomatic heft. In 1971, General Assembly Resolution 2758 moved by Albania
garnered support from Communist countries and NAM countries following which PRC
was recognised as sole legal China and PRC became permanent member of UNSC.
Subsequently, Taiwan was forced to join multilateral organisation under the
name of “Chinese Taipei”. In the
meanwhile, exploiting the rift in the communist bloc, President Nixon reached
out to China secretly. Soon, he officially formalised ties with China and
recognised “One-China policy”. In 1979,
Washington stated, “the United States of America acknowledges the
Chinese position that there is, but one China and Taiwan is part of China”. ROC then mobilised its diaspora which in turn
pushed Congress to pass the “Taiwan Relations Act” signed by President
Jimmy Carter. TRA states, “the United States will make available such
defense articles and defense services in such quantity as may be necessary to
enable Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense capabilities”. By and
large, relations between the two Chinas characterised by tension and
instability and are distinctly defined by the term “Cross-Straits relations”.
Even after the civil war of 1949, both PRC and ROC clashed with each other
frequently. First Cross-straits crisis ended in Formosa resolution of 1955
after PRC annexed Yijiangshan and Tachen Islands. In a second crisis, PRC
started shelling in Kinmen and Matsu Islands to “liberate” Taiwan from KMT
rule. In 1995 and 1996 as a warning to ROC from deviating the “One-China
policy” and intimidate the electoral process, PRC began firing missiles across
the Taiwan Straits.
Against US strategic ambiguity,
China began to strengthen relations with third-world countries, participated in
various international movements against super powers. By 1982, US reduced its
arms sales to Taiwan but refused to formally accept the sovereignty of China
over Taiwan. Reflecting its position on Taiwan, US issued three communiques and
six assurances. Though America agreed to officially abrogate relations with
Taiwan, it maintained cultural, commerical and economic interactions with
Taiwan through the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), which serves as
non-official US embassy and issues visas.
Chiang ruled over Taiwan under a
martial law after his death, successors continued the repressive rule till
1987. But the island gradually embraced democracy, by conducting first
legislative elections in 1992 and Presidential elections in 1996. The nationalists
or the Kuomintang historically upheld the policy of “one China Policy” loathed
independence of island. As a result, it soon lost the support of youngsters who
are unwilling for closer ties with mainland China to other parties. DPP, which
vociferously batted for independent Taiwanese identity and called for de
jure independence of Taiwan from mainland China. Soon it stormed into power
as its ideology was in sync with the aspirations of younger generation. DPP
remained in power from 2000-2008. But lost elections after its President Chen
Shui-bian was convicted on charges of corruption, KMT again came back to power.
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