Our Isolation – identity and self determination

During the years since 1965 Taiwan experienced a rapid economic growth, making it one of the most affluent and developed countries in Asia. Meanwhile, the KMT Nationalist government (continuing to claim in its Republic of China [ROC] constitution to be sovereign over China, Mongolia, Tibet, and Taiwan) became increasingly isolated diplomatically, as most countries as well as the United Nations (UN), transferred their recognition (1971) to the People's Republic of China [PROC] as being the actual government of China. To this day Taiwan remains isolated from the world community, in other words our country does not exist in the eyes of many nations. Except for the brief interlude from 1945 to 1949, Taiwan has been effectively separated from China since 1895. Because of this historical separation, Taiwan and China have developed along separate lines, resulting in quite different political, economic and cultural conditions. Despite the dream of the Nationalist Government in Taiwan and its rival Communist Government in Beijing that Taiwan must belong to “one China”, it is in fact neither necessary nor desirable to try to join them together. Beijing claims so adamantly that Taiwan cannot “be separated” that they will not forswear use of military force to consummate “reunification”.

It is these facts, viewed from the perspective of the Christian faith, which make the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan prefer the “Self-Determination” option and support the sovereign rights, and basic human dignity, of the people in Taiwan to choose our own future, without outside interference.