David on Formosa

China’s claims over Taiwan are about as valid as the UK trying to reclaim Australia. However, the question that must be asked is what exactly is Taiwan’s legal status?

An interesting letter was recently published in the Taipei Times. Richard Hartzell, a foreign long-term resident of Taiwan argues that Taiwan is actually a protectorate of the United States. The legal basis for this is the San Francisco Peace Treaty. Effectively it means Taiwan’s status has remained unresolved since World War II.

I find the analysis interesting although there are contrary points of view. I would argue that the sovereignty of Taiwan rests with the Taiwanese people. The problem is that international politics prevent them from freely exercising their democratic choice on this issue. Obviously there is the belligerence of China, but also problematic is the US’s ambiguous policies and the ineffectiveness of the UN. There is no hope for Taiwan in the UN because (a) it is not a member and (b) China holds a permanent seat on the UN Security Council giving it an effective veto over any efforts to recognise Taiwan’s independence.

The whole issue exposes the hypocrisy of governments around the world at many levels and also the failure of institutions, particularly the UN, to provide for international justice.