John Cena, an American actor and entertainment wrestler who stars in the latest Fast and the Furious sequel, was recently seen on social media delivering an apology that sounded quite contrite but was also rather rambling and vague.
In a video post on Weibo, a Chinese social media platform, Cena, speaking in Mandarin, said: “I made a mistake. I’m so, so sorry for my mistake. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m very sorry. You have to understand I love and respect China and Chinese people. I’m sorry.”
The context became clearer after Cena’s previous interview with a Taiwanese TV station came to light, where he said “Taiwan is the first country that can watch F9.”
It’s easy to explain Cena’s backpedaling. Hollywood films do big business in China and China is very sensitive about Taiwan’s independence. It bristles every time Taiwan is recognized as a country.
The last thing Cena wants is to be blamed by his producers and the film company for getting Fast and Furious 9 banned in the huge market that China is.
Nonetheless, Cena’s apology earned brickbats from both sides of the fence.
One Chinese commenter, for instance, pointed out that Cena did not explicitly say Taiwan is not a country: “Please say in Chinese that Taiwan is part of China. Otherwise, we won’t accept it.”
On the other hand, former Manila Councilor Kim Atienza, who has been ABS-CBN’s resident weather anchor for many years, reacted by repeatedly stating in his Facebook comment: “Taiwan is a country Taiwan is a country Taiwan is a country…back to you guys.”
Atienza later explained on Twitter that his wife, Felicia Hung, is Taiwanese. “My wife is Taiwanese and my kids are half Taiwanese. They have a country and it’s called Taiwan.”
History is full of ironies. Until 1971, it was actually Taiwan or the Republic of China that the United Nations officially recognized as the sovereign representative of the Chinese nation.
A UN resolution adopted in 1971 made mainland China or the People’s Republic of China the ‘legitimate’ China. From then on, Taiwan began losing formal diplomatic recognition from many countries.
Today, Taiwan enjoys full diplomatic relations with only 14 countries, aside from the Vatican.
Even the United States, Taiwan’s fiercest and most important ally, switched its official recognition of China to the PROC under the Carter administration in 1979. But President Carter decreed the US will nevertheless “maintain cultural, commercial and other unofficial relations with the people of Taiwan.”
This is the grey zone of Taiwan, in a nutshell: A country that is not officially considered a country but enjoys de facto recognition regarding its sovereignty and self-government.
While many countries do not extend Taiwan formal diplomatic recognition, it has not been isolated. It has economic and cultural offices which serve as its de facto embassies in many countries.
For instance, the Philippine government has the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) in Taipei, and Taiwan has the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Manila. Both offices manage foreign affairs and citizen services and operate just like any consulate and embassy does around the world.
There are many more qualities that make Taiwan truly a country.
Taiwan has its own government and its own freely elected leaders under a democracy. It does not operate under Chinese control. It has its own laws, its own Constitution, its own military.
Its Constitution protects freedom of speech and an independent free press.
Last year, the Taiwanese government even rejected the Philippine government’s request to deport a Filipina caregiver for criticizing President Duterte on the basis of freedom of speech.
Taiwan is ranked Asia’s second freest country after Japan on Freedom House’s latest report on global freedom.
A country is also its people. A government poll in 2020 found that only 2% of Taiwanese consider themselves Chinese—they want to be known simply as Taiwanese—and 80% support the country’s participation in international organizations under the name Taiwan. Most of them (in poll after poll) say they do not want Taiwan’s reunification with China.
Taiwanese people enjoy an average GDP per capita of more than $59,000 a year.
They have their own passport and enjoy visa free entry in 146 countries.
Taiwan has its own industries and its own trade agreements.
It has its own banks and its own currency, the Taiwan dollar.
Taiwan has its own education system.
Taiwan even has its own national beer, Taiwan beer.
Taiwan is no longer claiming to be the legitimate China. It abandoned that claim in the 90s.
It simply just wants to be Taiwan—its politics, economy, lifestyle and society, very different from China and very distinctly Taiwanese.
The Taiwanese are no longer an exiled people. They have established their own identity. And yes, they do have their own country.
Perhaps it’s time the rest of the world recognizes this fact. ###
1 comment
From what I know about China’s past, Taiwan is Chinese territory and the Taiwanese are mainly the KMT that fled having lost the civil war which has not been resolved as yet. The mainlanders view this as an internal matter that they should address in due time barring interference from outsiders. Both claim and represent China. That’s the big conundrum.
PROC as a matter of pride will not allow a renegade to be recognized as a
country. PROC has the bigger territory, arguably the biggest economy, and has the UN security council as its ace.