Want China Times
February 27, 2015
The national flag of the PRC. (File photo/CFP)
For the sixth year in a row, President Barack Obama issued a congratulatory message on the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year and for the first time in US history there was a massive fireworks display on the Hudson River in New York last week to celebrate the occasion. During the Lunar New Year holiday, theme parks and hotels in Las Vegas were decorated with large red Chinese-style lanterns. These are signs that all sectors of the American society are paying more and more attention to China.
Yet another signal was the statement in January by the US ambassador to China, Max Baucus, that in order to understand more about his host country he had begun to use WeChat, a popular messaging service in China.
Such has not been the case, however, with either of Taiwan’s main political parties. Both the ruling Kuomintang and the opposition Democratic Progressive Party say that they should pay attention to China but in practice they fail to do so. The KMT knows only to kowtow to China while the DPP and its smaller allies tend to bury their heads in the sand, as if China will go away if they ignore it.
The local media do not help, offering only coverage of China that supports local stereotypes and displaying little insight into the workings of China’s politics and society. In fairness, the local media know almost nothing about anything outside Taiwan. But given the sensitivity of Taiwan’s relationship with its giant neighbor, the fact that China knows far more about Taiwan than Taiwan knows about China is irresponsible and dangerous for Taiwan’s future.
The attitude of the political parties and the ignorant reporting of the media in Taiwan have created a serious lack in the general public’s knowledge not just about mainland China but international affairs in general.
In this globalized age, it is ridiculous that any country should remain so secluded, least of all a nation like Taiwan that depends on foreign trade for its economic growth and on a well-considered diplomatic strategy for its future security and autonomy.
It is no secret that Beijing’s strageties concerning Taiwan are aimed at the eventual goal of unification. It is precisely for this reason that ignorance is not an option. Taiwan’s future is at stake.
