Do foreigners support Taiwan independence ? or do you just think it's all the same:(?

Question

hi, im a Taiwanese
i just want to know how foreigners think about Taiwan
just curious

any suggestions? im in a new generation and we're able to make a difference and make here a better place

and does any foreigner support Taiwan independence against China?

even Chinese can answer this , but please dont say anything insulting, be objective

Answer 1

As you can tell from the majority of posters on here that vast majority of foreigners (at least westerners) are in favor of Taiwan (ROC) independence from China (PRC). However, unfortunately the vast majority of foreigners don't actually understand the situation between the PRC and Taiwan. This is due mostly to the lack of educational resources in foreign countries, and another major factor being that most foreigners are more concerned with the region around them. Americans in the US are concerned (the population not the government) with immigrants from Mexico, drugs moving in from south America and the Caribbean and where their barrel of oil will come from and gangs in their neighborhoods than they are with the political disputes between China and Taiwan. Similarly European nations are more concerned with the failure of the political structure and financial structures of Greece, Italy, and the Netherlands than things that happen in Asia. This is just how the world is.



So I would venture to guess that foreigners from South East Asia would be more concerned with the Taiwan-China issue than most American (north America south America) and Europeans, etc., would be because of their close proximity to China, and the on-going territorial disputes that they have with the PRC government. This is because most of the smaller S.E. Asian countries have mutual defense treaties or protectorate treaties with the US and would view how the situation is handled by the US government, the Taiwanese government and the PRC government. This is because if the PRC decided to just end the passive aggressive take over of Taiwan and launch a full on assault either economically, militarily or by other measures unknown and the US who said they would protect Taiwan (ROC) from further attacks by the PRC or any nation does nothing then it would send a clear message to these nations that they are on their own.



So if you are asking a general question about all foreign people, the answer is a little bleak because foreigners have other things to worry about. Sad but true. However, if you ask the question in the view of foreigners living in Taiwan or China, then the answers you're going to get are going to be more in favor of either pro status quo or independence from the PRC entirely. As another person said a lot of pro Taiwan people fall more in line with the DPP and Pan Green parties ideas than they do with KMT or Pan Blue parties. Especially people who live in Taiwan. People who live in China on the other hand have more wide views of opinions on the subject, but most are in favor of a free Taiwan. I have lived in China for going on three years and the foreigners (westerners and Koreans) that I have met here have been overwhelmingly in favor of Taiwan being free of PRC control. But their definition of free ranges from a part of China but free like Hong Kong, to completely free and formally recognized by the UN (again). Then there exists the minority that believes Taiwan is already apart of the PRC and that it falls under the class of 1 nation 2 systems, or they believe the party line that Taiwan is a rogue Provence and needs to be taken back.



Personally I think Taiwan is already free and independent but it needs more Internal support from the people to remain that way. If more the new Generation is willing to go out vote and pay more attention to the government and to Taiwan's place in the world, then they will have a bright future. The opposite is true too if the young people of Taiwan don't actively participate in their elections and take an interest in their government and how it functions. This is the major issue that faces EVERY democratic, republic, Madison-Republicanism (US) nations, if the people don't take part in their government then corruption, rogue factions and external forces will control their destinies.



No matter what we foreigners feel about the status of Taiwan it is the people of Taiwan's feelings that truly matter.

Answer 2

Obama don't need no drama, so he'll preserve the repute quo, ie. Strategic ambiguity in regards to the Taiwan independence obstacle. The us nominally helps democracies all over the world, and Taiwan has strategic worth as an outpost of US (and SEATO allies) vigour in the Pacific. China and Taiwan both stand to benefit from the cultural and economic exchanges which can be being promoted through the Ma administration. The USA purple line is a chinese invasion of Taiwan China's crimson line is a Taiwanese announcement of independence. Short of both final result, China, the us and Taiwan can all reside collectively peacebly and prosperously.

Answer 3

Hi, as a foreigner (I'm Canadian) I DEFINITELY think Taiwan is an independent country. Taiwan is governed by the Republic of China (ROC) And China is governed by People's Republic of China (PRC) They have different governments, therefore, they're not the same country.



I lived in Beijing for quite some time and I understand that a lot of people from China STRONGLY believes that Taiwan is a part of China. I think that they're nuts! Them Chinese keep saying that Taiwan is a part of China or WILL BE a part of China. God, they are so naive. If China dares hurt Taiwan just a bit the US government will step in IMMEDIATELY. The United States will do whatever it can to protect Taiwan:) Also, a funny thing I discovered when I lived in Beijing was, the international schools in Beijing DO NOT allow students with a CHINESE NATIONALITY to enroll in their school because it is an "international" school. You have to be a different nationality other than Chinese to get into those international schools. ALL the international schools in Beijing accept students whose nationalities are TAIWANESE. Therefore proving that the Chinese government accept Taiwanese as an independent nationality.



Also, Taiwan has a very good relationship with lots of fellow countries like Japan, the US, etc. Recently, Taiwanese citizens have gained the benefit to travel to over 90 countries without a visa. These countries include USA, France, UK, Japan, Korea, and lots of other European countries. Whilst Chinese citizens only have non-visa access to about 10 minor countries, all mostly located in Africa. What I'm trying to say is that Taiwan is a very DIFFERENT place than China, let alone say that they're the same country, because they're not.



What really frustrates me if when people confuse Taiwan and China as a country. I have also lived in Taiwan for quite some time, and trust me Taiwan is NOTHING like China. It's all about the environment, the attitude, and how you treat people! When you're in China, the streets are dirty, it's so polluted, the traffic is horrible, cars ignore the traffic lights at ALL TIMES and don't care for the people crossing the roads, most of the people there are so rude and uncivilized. Also when Chinese people see foreigners all they can think about is "how can I make money off of these laowai" However in Taiwan, the streets are cleaner, cars drive properly, the laws are more strict, people are civilized and so kind. Once I was packpacking in Taidong and I came across this market selling all kinds of stuff, I went to a stand that was selling fresh fruits and vegetables, the vendor lady was SO nice, I took three apples and asked her how much they were, she looked at me and must've known i'm a foreigner by my skin color, so she told me they're free! she said consider that a welcoming gift from Taiwan! Now these kinda stuff will never happen in China.



To sum it up, as a foreigner with living experiences in both China and Taiwan, I definitely support Taiwan's independence against China. They are two COMPLETELY different countries:)



Also, @Cat Lover. Hualien is NOT in China. It's in Taiwan. They are two different countries. Hualien is a magnificent place with great scenery! Taiwan has a lot of precious scenery and lots of site to see.

Answer 4

Most democracies of the West tacitly support Taiwanese Independence. If the PRC tries to make things nastier by undermining the "right to self-determination" and attacking Taiwan again with any overt form of military action, then they will offer overwhelming assistance to the Taiwanese on a scale that would make Libya look like a cake walk.



FYI: Under the terms of its Charter, the UN's Security Council would be required to dismiss the PRC from any vote on the subject.



As mentioned above, UN Charter state that the person answering below me has NO SAY in the matter. Indeed, his cries of "WE OWN YOU!" are beginning to bore me, and I wish he'd stop it.

Answer 5

Hello, I'm a Japanese.



Most Japanese people who are interested in this issue, see China and Taiwan as "2 different nations". Very few see Taiwan as a part of China.



But Japanese government does not recognize Taiwan as an independent nation. The reason is, Japan and PRC tied official diplomatic relation in 1972 and recognized PRC as "the only government of China". Since then, there has been no need to change this status for 41 years because Japan has had a good economic relation with Taiwan without recognizing it.





But there have been some minor changes, showing that Japan sees Taiwan as another nation.



One of them is statement on "Residence Card", the card issued for all foreign residents in Japan. A new card was introduced in July 2012. Another, old card was used before July 2012.



On the old card, residents from both PRC and ROC have statement as "China 中国" on nationality.



But on this new card, Taiwanese nationals have statement as "Taiwan 台湾" while residents from PRC still have "China 中国".



You can see it at 10:30 of this video. Also check comments.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSZtX11OHMg

Answer 6

I would say that support for independence movement is stronger among the expat community than the general populace in Taiwan. However, there are many unsufferable foreigners who are self-professes "experts" who know everything but understand nothing.

Answer 7

I would like to answer your question specifically about foreigners who live in Taiwan and mainland China. It's best to consider these types of foreigners first since they have first-hand knowledge of the situation. Foreigners who have never been to Taiwan or mainland China may not understand the complexity of the issue.



In my several years of experience, foreigners living both in Taiwan and mainland China overwhelmingly regard Taiwan as a completely separate entity from mainland China. As such, it is fair to say that most Western foreigners support formal independence for Taiwan. You will also find that most foreigners in Taiwan and mainland China also support the views of the DPP. Of course this is not true for all foreigners but in my experience, it is true for most.



In Taiwan, many people use the term 大陸 to refer to mainland China when speaking Chinese or Taiwanese. This is much less common when foreigners speak about China using English. In English, we almost always say either "China" or "Taiwan". The issue here is that "the mainland" implies that Taiwan and mainland China are the same country. There is even a website for foreigners in Taiwan called forumosa.com. One time, somebody there asked how to ship things from Taiwan to "the mainland". Other foreigners criticized him for his choice of words.



As you might suspect, foreigners in both mainland China and Taiwan have very similar views as local people of the same generation. This means that you and I probably share the same views on the situation. If you see 外國朋友 please don't be afraid to ask their opinion. It is not a very sensitive topic for us and most foreigners will be happy to discuss it with you and also ask your opinion.



Please also know that many young people in mainland China also support Taiwan independence. Educated mainlanders especially support this view. A colleague of my in mainland Chinese told me she is embarrassed to hear the government use terms such as 台灣同胞. So of course many foreigners in mainland China also have this opinion.



Thanks for asking for our opinion! :)

Answer 8

foreigners don't care about politics. they only care about making money easily from asian countries.

Answer 9

http://wh.gov/lXtHe