Taiwan wants independence

San Jose Mercury News

April 29, 2001

Congtrary to George Koo's commentary (Opinion, April 20), Taiwan is not China and Taiwan is not part of China.

Taiwan is not China for exactly the same reason that the United States is not England. It has its own territory, people, constitution and political, economic and military systems that are separate and distinct from their Chinese counterparts.

When Taiwanese travelers go abroad, they carry passports that are issued by the Taiwanese, not Chinese, government. When foreigners, including Chinese mainlanders, visit Taiwan, they need a Taiwanese visa.

It is preposterous to claim that ``Historically, culturally, ethnically and linguistically, Taiwan is a part of China.''

Taiwanese people are not Chinese for precisely the same reason that Chinese-Americans are not Chinese or Japanese-Americans are not Japanese. It is not where you come from, but where you live, grow and love; it is not the blood, but the environment that determines your nationality.

China is a country from which its own citizens are willing to risk their own lives to escape by hiding in cargo ships. Taiwanese people would be crazy to want to ``recognize that their destiny lies in being part of China.'' This is nothing but a smoke screen to cover up China's ambition to gobble up Taiwan and expand its sphere of influence.

Yes, George Koo is right: There is only one China, but Taiwan is no part of China.

Chaote Lin

San Jose