
China and Taiwan's historic meeting - curtis
http://www.vox.com/2015/11/4/9669592/china-taiwan-meeting
======
whatyoucantsay
This is a horribly written piece and littered with inaccuracies. Please don't
take it seriously. It repeatedly references "reunification" as well as very
old political positions the KMT held in the years after they invaded Taiwan.
They were never elected by the people and the island was under martial law
until about 30 years ago.

The article also repeatedly mentions "reunification". But Taiwan hasn't ever
been part of the PRC (China's current government). Before the KMT invasion,
Taiwan was a flourishing colony of Japan with educational and transportation
infrastructure far surpassing that of China.

One would have to go all the way back to the Qing dynasty to find a time when
Taiwan was part of a the same country as most of the land currently known as
China. One might as well talk about Denmark "reunifying" with Germany because
of Prussia.

The real issue is China is powerful, has the ability to veto any UN resolution
regarding Taiwan and the economic clout that even many EU countries are
selling them weapons (or in the case of France, even doing joint invasion
drills right before the Taiwanese election that cemented the Democratic
Progressive Party's future). [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-
pacific/3512088.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3512088.stm)

This isn't about ethics. It's about power. Never in my life have I seen a
clearer case of might vs right.

~~~
tramov
The joint french exercises are interesting. Especially since there is an
existing French military cemetary in Keelung (Northern Taiwan). Hundreds of
French soldiers who died in a previous failed assault on the island.

[http://www.cheminsdememoire.gouv.fr/en/french-military-
cemet...](http://www.cheminsdememoire.gouv.fr/en/french-military-cemetery-
keelung)

