- A photo from the Rose Bowl Parade. Provided.
Richard Kagan: The Kagan Conversation
On the first day of January, I watched the Rose Bowl Parade. A particular float caught my eye. The display of flowers and decorations depicted a scuba diver above sea turtles, latticed butterfly fish, sea grass and colorful coral formations, while real live young women were picking up stranded bottles and debris left from the waves on the shore.
This float won the International Award for the most Outstanding Float from Outside the U.S. Its theme of “Caring for Our Sea” skillfully represented the themes of environmental conservation and value of the natural environment.
The owner of this float was China Airlines which surprisingly did not represent China but did represent the island government of Taiwan. Besides the contrary name, why not Taiwan Airlines, the display of sustainable development and environmental conservation was another clear distinction between the culture of Taiwan and that of China.
The usual cultural identity displayed by China is its long and rich history, its dancing minorities, and its imposing imperial monuments as the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and dams on the Yangtze.
The culture on the Taiwan float was hardly different from any cosmopolitan country that is engaged in a pragmatic attempt to make a better future for its citizens and a cleaner environment for all. A further distinction between the government on Taiwan with the party-state government in Beijing is Taiwan’s exemplary democratic system, its strong economy and its distinctive heritage.
Today there is a momentous cultural and political conflict between Taiwan and China. It is so great that America has determined that the status of Taiwan is still not settled. The island is not necessarily under the authority and legitimacy of the government in Beijing. The two territories are separated by the Strait of Taiwan, and by the 7th Fleet. The U.S. does not have an embassy or ambassador in the capital of Taiwan which is called Taipei. Yet, it has a representative to Taiwan who lives in Hawaii and meets with his staff in a large compound in Taipei during his visits there.
While Beijing insists that Taiwan is and has been part of China for centuries, Taiwan disagrees. In fact, a former president of the island had his presidential carpet in his office designed as ocean waves to represent the identity of Taiwan as a maritime nation. The history of the island was never to be viewed as part of the continent of East Asia, or what has often been called mainland China.
China has increased its claims against the “renegade” province of Taiwan by preparing thousands of long range missiles for barrages against the island.
China’s military operates massive military exercises that mimic an invasion and occupation of the Taiwanese nation. Beijing uses economic and political pressure to threaten other countries who want to treat Taiwan as an independent country. Most oppressive internationally, Beijing enforces an embargo against allowing Taiwan a seat in international organizations. Threateningly, China has passed a resolution that justifies an attack on Taiwan if the island seeks the status of independence.
There is great concern that President Trump may make a deal with China regarding Taiwan. If China helps to denuclearize North Korea, we may make a deal for Beijing to have control of Taiwan. Some Taiwanese fear that the island will fall under some decentralized control by Beijing. Or it may mean full domination of the population like the Communist Party rules over its Chinese citizens.
Even worse is the fear that if war breaks out, or even just hostilities, America will not have the ability to prevent China from forcing control over Taiwan through embargos, internal uprisings and even invasions.
Although the float did not carry the flag of Taiwan, it did have the slogan of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau on its side which could be felt by the nationalists in Beijing as a slap in the face — “Taiwan: The Heart of Asia.”
Incidentally, there was no Taiwan flag on the float nor the official name of the island nation — The Republic of China. In contrast, the American Armenian float had their representative dressed in a scarf with the official colors, red, blue and orange of the Armenian Nation. There are 700,000 Armenian Americans from a homeland of 3 million. The 700,000 Taiwanese Americans who left their island of 23 million did not have a chance to be represented by their ancestral flag in the parade.
Truly , China Airlines participated in two parades: one with shining confidence in a safe and abundant future, and one with an invisible fear of being submerged into the depths of China’s present.
Why should we care? First, even in the high emotions of a fantastic parade, we should not be blind to some of the realities. And second, there are many hot spots in the world today. But not less threatening are the ones that are beneath the surface that can catch us in a deadly surprise.
Richard Kagan is a retired professor of Asian history studies at Hamline University. His column appears each Friday.