Cross-Strait Relations:
The Rise of Nationalism in the PRC
Introduction:
The People’s Republic of China (PRC), led by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), was founded in the midst of Chaos and instability. As the Zhongyuan was once self-regard as the leader of Asia and the world, the invasion among the Eight-Nation Alliance and Japanese Invasion in World War Two was viewed as a “century of humiliation,” transitioning "China as victor" to "China as victim" (Wang 792). Therefore, Chinese people lived in the shadow of shame and were perceived as a “developing country” for a century-long. Though once labeled as a developing country, the PRC has increased nationalism in the historical, political, military, economic, and social spheres over the past two decades and has established its position in the global political sphere, allowing its ambitious ruler President Xi Jinping to pursue his dream of rejuvenation which necessitate the reunification of Taiwan. The essay will examine the growth of nationalism among Chinese society for the “reunification” of Taiwan via the historical background of the “century of humiliation,” the resentment of modern imperialism, the political ambiguity of the United States, the growth of the PRC military and geographical advantages, and the societal support in Mainland fostered by the CCP.
1662 Zheng's Family in Taiwan
After the collapse of the Ming dynasty, the Zheng family entered Taiwan and seized control from the Dutch (Hang 173) (The statue above was built by the PRC in Xiamen facing Taiwan is a symbol welcoming Taiwan to return to the motherland).
1683 Admiral Shi Lang Defeated Zheng's Regime
Taiwan officially became a part of "China" during the Qing dynasty.
1895 Republic of Taiwan and Imperial of Japan
The short-lived Republic of Taiwan transitioned into a Japanese colony from 1895 to 1945 after the Qing lost the Sin-Japanese War.
1945 End of the World War II
After the Japanese surrender, the Republic of China (ROC) took control over Taiwan.
1949 KMT (Kuomintang) Lost the Civil War to CCP
Chiang Kai-shek and his part fled to Taiwan after the war and continued his authoritarian rule, symbolizing the end of "One China" leading to the beginning of cross-strait conflict.
1972 Nixon Visit China
The first interaction between the US and China during the Cold War entered Ping-pong diplomacy.
1982 Reagan Six Assurances
The US Department of State under the Reagan Administration sent the Six Assurances to the PRC.
1996 Taiwan First Direct Presidential Election
The PRC launched missiles toward Taiwan's adjoining waters while Taiwan had its first direct presidential election. The PRC foreign ministry spokesman Shen Guofang stated, “China has never promised to abstain from resorting to arms” on March 15, 1996 (Blackwill and Zelikow 25.)
2005 Anti-Secession Law
In 2005, the PRC introduced the Anti-Secession Law, "China could use 'non-peaceful means if Taiwan secessionist forces sought independence or if it deemed that possibilities of peaceful reunification were “completely exhausted” (Blackwill and Zelikow 25).
2012 the Beginning of Xi Jinping's Regime
The year 2012 marked the transition of Hu Jintao's "Harmonious Society" to Xi Jinping's "Chinese Dream."
2019 40th Anniversary of the Issuance of the Message to Compatriots in Taiwan
Xi Jinping delivered the speech "Working Together to Realize Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation and Advance China’s Peaceful Reunification" at the Meeting Marking the 40th Anniversary of the Issuance of the Message to Compatriots in Taiwan on January 2, 2019.
2023 Ma Ying-jeou's Visit to the PRC
Former Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou (KMT) visited the PRC to commemorate his ancestors, implying a signal of "pro-reunification."
The Zheng family ruled Taiwan in 1621 when the Qing Empire conquered the territory of the Ming dynasty. Then the Qing court defeated the Zheng family in 1646. Therefore, historically, "China" never governed "Taiwan" before the Qing Dynasty. The People’s Republic of China created a narrative five-thousand-year history to claim legitimacy and sovereignty over territories. Thus, the PRC intentionally used historical ambiguity to incorporate the Qing dynasty as a part of the “Chinese dynasties” and Manchurians as one of the fifty-six ethnicities.
However, the PRC (China) and the ROC (Taiwan) regard Mr. Sun Yat-sen, former President of the Republic of China, as the father of Modern China, who does not consider Manchurians as Chinese.
In 1904, Mr. Sun stated his goal "to expel the Tatar barbarians (Manchurians), to revive Zhonghua, to establish the Republic, and to distribute land equally among the people."
In 1949, the Kuomintang (KMT) led by Chiang Kai-shek fled to Taiwan as the PRC, their political rival, defeated them.
During the Cold War, there were no formal interactions between the PRC and the United States. However, President Nixon's visit to the PRC changed the previous status quo, "The United States acknowledges that all Chinese on either side of the Taiwan Strait maintain there is but one China and that Taiwan is a part of China. The United States Government does not challenge that position” (Shanghai Communiqué of 1972).
The photo shows President Nixon greeted by PRC Premier Zhou Enlai with the national feast and Maotai wine.
After Mao died in 1976, the PRC entered the Deng Era, the continuation and further implementation of Deng's "One-China" policy.
The Photo show the PRC's top diplomat Deng Xiaoping meeting President Jimmy Carter at the White House.
Under the Reagan administration, the Six Assurances was sent from the State Department in 1982: [4]
- The United States has not agreed to set a date for ending arms sales to Taiwan.
- The United States has not agreed to consult with the PRC on arms sales to Taiwan.
- The United States will not play a mediation role between Taipei and Beijing.
- The United States has not agreed to revise the Taiwan Relations Act.
- The United States has not altered its position regarding sovereignty over Taiwan.
- The United States will not exert pressure on Taiwan to enter into negotiations with the PRC.
The assurances above are the strategy of political ambiguity of the United States while balancing the power between the PRC and ROC.
The Photo shows President Reagan drinking Maotai visiting China.
Since the Deng Era, the PRC envisioned the cross-strait relation to eventual move from the “One Nation, Two System” policy into a peaceful “reunification” (Blackwill and Zelikow 25). Perhaps, the Modern PRC envisioned a peaceful "reunification" after using Hong Kong as an example when the Great Britain handover Hong Kong.
Xi Jinping delivered the speech "Achieving Rejuvenation Is the Dream of the Chinese People" on November 29, 2012 marking a new era for China: "Everyone has an ideal, ambition and dream. We are now all talkin' about the Chinese Dream. In my opinion, achieving the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has been the greatest dream of the Chinese people since the advent of modern times. This dream embodies the long-cherished hope of several generations of the Chinese people, gives expression to the overall interests of the Chinese nation and the Chinese people, and represents the shared aspiration of all the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation.”
Xi Jinping delivered the speech "Working Together to Realize Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation and Advance China’s Peaceful Reunification" at the Meeting Marking the 40th Anniversary of the Issuance of the Message to Compatriots in Taiwan on January 2, 2019:
“People on both sides of the Taiwan Straits share the bonds of kinship. Just as loved ones wish each other well, we Chinese should help each other. We treat our compatriots in Taiwan as equals, and will continue paving the way for them to share first the mainland’s development opportunities and ensure that our compatriots and enterprises from Taiwan receive the same treatment as those from the mainland, thus giving them a greater sense of fulfillment. After the peaceful reunification, Taiwan will enjoy lasting peace and the people there will live in peace and contentment. Backed by a strong motherland, our compatriots in Taiwan will enjoy better life, have more opportunities for development, and they will have stronger confidence, greater sense of security and dignity in the international community.”
The Economist labeled Taiwan as "The Most Dangerous Place on Earth" on May 1st, 2021, as the power struggle in Taiwan will potentially trigger another World War:
"America requires weapons to deter China from launching an amphibious invasion; it must prepare its allies, including Japan and South Korea; and it needs to communicate to China that its battle plans are credible. This will be a tricky balance to strike. Deterrence usually strives to be crystal-clear about retaliation. The message here is more subtle. China must be discouraged from trying to change Taiwan’s status by force even as it is reassured that America will not support a dash for formal independence by Taiwan. The risk of a superpower arms race is high."
The PRC has gone through a successful process of military development and has the potential to challenge the US as the new world leader. The US and the PRC will use Taiwan as an arena to battle:
"China boasts the largest navy in the world, with an expected force of 400 ships by 2025 (America has less than 300, Taiwan just 26). It has expanded its missile and nuclear arsenal to keep foreign forces away from the Taiwan strait" (Su, The Economist).
"Taiwan’s main island is roughly 160km away from the Chinese coast, but the island of Kinmen is only 3km away. Kinmen has been a conduit of cross-strait tourism and economic exchange" (Su, The Economist).
“Taiwan makes more than 60% of the world’s semiconductors, which power everything from mobile phones to guided missiles, and 90% of the most advanced sort. Rhodium Group, a research outfit, estimates that a Chinese blockade of Taiwan could cost the world economy more than $2trn” (Su, the Economist).
A speech from Jin Canrong (金灿荣), Professor and Associate Dean of the School of International Studies at Renmin University of China, “Resolving Taiwan’s issues would improve China’s global reputation/position” [台湾问题解决能确立中国新的国际威望]:
"1. Improvement on territorial position reunify' Taiwan, eliminating blockade to the Pacific Ocean.
2. Rise of national pride by flipping the page of the 'century of humiliation.'
3. Following the guideline of the New Culture of Xi’s Era: 'Chinese Dream.'
4. The growth of the military, most of the battles the PRC fought were self-defense; however, the war with Taiwan will be for 'reunification.'
5. Nationalize Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TMSC).
6. Improvement in political stability since the people who are pro-Tawain independence also criticize the PRC on issues such as Xinjiang and Hong Kong.
7. Improve societal stability because the Taiwanese are the leading group of frauds.
8. Decrease military expenses and resources by relocating military bases east of Taiwan.
9. Derease Foreign affairs expenses because the PRC is spending 30 billion RMB on other nations that support the 'One-China' policy.
10. Improvement of the PRC's global position since the 'reunification' symbolizes surpassing the US global position."
Communist Youth League of China: “If the war begins in the strait, 70 percent of Taiwanese youth would refuse to fight.”
Chengjunge [诚俊哥]: “70 percent of mainland young people will voluntarily enter the war, and the remaining 30 percent will pay to join the war."
Qingjiadetuochen [请假的驼橙]: "My ability is limited, but if Tutu [rabbit, meaning PRC] needs me, I am willing."
Jinzong (金宗): "Please don't enter the war, Taiwanese young people, you will discover you sacrifice has no value one day, if you are alive, you may return home anytime."
Hu Xijin, former editor of the Global Times, and his Weibo post regarding the potential war against Taiwan on December 13, 2021: "Old Hu believe, if Mainland China begins the liberation war of Taiwan, the People's Liberation Army implement the final attack on the strait, the war will be over within hours without actual resistance from the Taiwanese military; there will be no alliance leads by the United States to provide actual support to Taiwan."
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the “reunification” of Taiwan is a required component of Xi Jinping to fulfill his “Chinese Dream” (Xi 38). During his regime, the PRC encountered economic and military growth leading to the peak of national pride. The “century of humiliation” and resentment of modern imperialism triggered the Chinese people emotionally, creating a hateful attitude towards the manipulation of the Western world. The political ambiguity of the United States allowed the PRC leaders in both Zhongnanhai and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to justify the “reunification” and the legitimacy of the PRC over Taiwan. Hence, by creating the narrative that the PRC is now robust as a nation-state and unfearful of the United States, the PRC could achieve the “reunification” of Taiwan and rejuvenation.
Work Cited:
Blackwill, Robert D., and Philip Zelikow. “China Confronts Taiwan.” The United States, China, and Taiwan: A Strategy to Prevent War, Council on Foreign Relations, 2021, pp. 25–29. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep28673.9. Accessed 1 May 2023.
Communist Youth League of China. Weibo, 3 March. 2022, https://weibo.com/1989660417/L5SaCj6Jo?sudaref=www.google.com&type=comment. Accessed 2 May. 2023.
Ohlendorf, Hrdina. “The Taiwan Dilemma in Chinese Nationalism: Taiwan Studies in the People’s Republic of China.” Asian Survey, vol. 54, no. 3, 2014, pp. 471–91. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.1525/as.2014.54.3.471. Accessed 1 May 2023.
“Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Regular Press Conference on August 3, 2022.” Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, 4 Aug. 2022, https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/xwfw_665399/s2510_665401/202208/t20220804_10733756.html.
“Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on August 31, 2022.” Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, 31 Aug. 2022, https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/xwfw_665399/s2510_665401/202208/t20220831_10758404.html.
“Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on April 17, 2023.” Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, 17 Apr. 2023, https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/xwfw_665399/s2510_665401/202304/t20230417_11060585.html.
Hang, Xing. “Contradictory Contingencies: The Seventeenth-Century Zheng Family and Contested Cross-Strait Legacies.” American Journal of Chinese Studies, vol. 23, 2016, pp. 173–82. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44289147. Accessed 2 May 2023.
“How Nationalism Is Shaping China's Young.” The Economist, The Economist Newspaper, https://www.economist.com/special-report/2021/01/21/how-nationalism-is-shaping-chinas-young.
Hu, Xijin. Weibo, 13 Dec. 2021, https://weibo.com/1989660417/L5SaCj6Jo?sudaref=www.google.com&type=comment. Accessed 2 May. 2023.
Jin, Canrong, speaker. CCP Top Advisor Jin Canrong: Ten Benefits of Taking Back Taiwan, We Can Nationalize TSMC Immediately, Inconvenient Truths-First Hand From China, 11 Oct. 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4B6_BZCBmM. Accessed 2 May. 2023.
Speech by Jinping Xi, 40th Anniversary of Message to Compatriots in Taiwan [《告台湾同胞书》发表40周年], Chinese Central Television, 2 Jan. 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHc8xstP0Hs&t=948s. Accessed 7 Apr. 2022.
“Six Assurances.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Mar. 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Assurances.
Su, Alice. “Taiwan Is a Vital Island That Is Under Serious Threat.” The Economist, The Economist Newspaper, 2023, https://www.economist.com/special-report/2023/03/06/taiwan-is-a-vital-island-that-is-under-serious-threat.
“The Most Dangerous Place on Earth.” The Economist, The Economist Newspaper, 1 May 2021, https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/05/01/the-most-dangerous-place-on-earth.
Wang, Zheng. “National Humiliation, History Education, and the Politics of Historical Memory: Patriotic Education Campaign in China.” International Studies Quarterly, vol. 52, no. 4, 2008, pp. 783–806. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/29734264. Accessed 1 May 2023.
“203. Joint Statement Following Discussions With Leaders of the People’s Republic of China.” Office of the Historian, U.S. Department of State, 27 Feb. 1972, https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1969-76v17/d203.
Photo Attributions:
