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No Rightful Claim To Taiwan

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 14, 2008

Regarding "Shake China's Hand, But Arm Taiwan" (Our Opinion, Aug. 12):

In the editorial you used the term "reunite" when talking about China invading Taiwan. Imperial China deeded Taiwan to Japan in 1895 in a legal and binding treaty, the Treaty of Shimonoseki. Following World War II, the Japanese were removed from Taiwan as a condition of their defeat, but the legal retraction of ownership was not until 1952. During this time Taiwan was administered under United Nations jurisdiction by the ROC government; however, Taiwan was never returned/deeded back to the Chinese government but left in an independent state.

The issue was clouded when Chiang Kai-shek retreated there and set up the government for the Republic Of China claiming to speak for all of China - something he didn't bother asking the Taiwan people if they agreed to or not. They didn't, and saw the ROC as another bunch of outsiders imposing their language and laws on them by force.

Claiming an invasion of Taiwan to be reunification by force is the Communist Party propaganda line. It will, in fact, be an invasion of an independent, sovereign and democratic country by a bloody dictatorship which has no legal claim to it.

CHARLES REYNOLDS

Brandon

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