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Where is Taiwan?

The Asian continent extends from Alaska through 13,892 square miles (35,981 square kilometers). Some geologists say that Taiwan was at one time a part of Mainland China. Others dispute this point of view because of its volcanic soil (not found in China) and say geologically it is a part of a chain of islands separated from Japan and south of Taiwan to the Philippines and further south. These geologists contend there was no mainland connection or that such is far removed in time. Recent geological studies seem to support the latter view.

Is Taiwan a renegade province or an independent nation?

The Taiwanese "separatist tradition" originated two centuries ago, when the island pioneers were in conflict with the intrusive mainland Chinese authority. Then the spectacular overall changes in island life that occurred during the Japanese rule (1895-1945) distanced the islanders further from the mainland Chinese. In October of 1945, after Taiwan was handed over to Chiang Kai-shek, the Taiwanese went through nightmarish experiences with mainland Chinese. During and after the "Feburary 28th incident," an island-wide uprising against the Chinese, hundreds were killed, inprisoned or obliged to flee the island. The massacre, for such as it was, left an indelible scar.

Fifty years after the bloody March Massacre, the island people face the unpredictable outcome of Taipei-Peking confrontation. For ample historical reason, they put little trust in official pledges, on either side, that a transfer of authority can or will be "peaceful." The people of Taiwan want a free country, but if they proclaim their freedom, Mainland China threatens them with war and invasion, so fear rises up within the people. This is the way Mainland Chna controls through their communistical rule. It is because of fear that they have not pulled away.