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Weekly Online LessonOnline Lesson ArchiveGrade Level: 9-12
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New Leadership for Taiwan
Taiwan's
second-ever free presidential election was held on Saturday, March 18,
2000. To the surprise of many, opposition candidate Chen Shui-bian of
the Democratic Progressive Party won the election, ending 51 years of
rule by the Nationalist Party. In the wake of the humiliating defeat,
Nationalist Party President Lee Teng-hui agreed to step down.
The election results are not good news for China's communist government in Beijing, which had issued strong warnings to Taiwan prior to the election that a victory for Chen would lead to war. China has long considered the island of Taiwan a renegade republic that should return to mainland control. Chen is strongly pro-independence and will not consider reunification.
China’s
government says it will wait to see how Chen handles relations between
the island and the mainland. However, Chen’s unwillingness to accept
Beijing’s “one-country, two-systems” reunification formula
could cause an irreparable rift between the two sides. For China’s
Communist leaders, the formula is sacred — it was used to bring
Hong Kong back into the fold in 1997, and Macao last year, and Chen’s
rejection of the formula leaves Beijing with little room to negotiate.
In this week's online lesson you will learn about President-elect Chen Shui-bian and the history of tension between Taiwan and China.
Taiwan and China
You
can better appreciate the impact of Taiwanese independence and the threat
of war with China by learning about the political history of two countries.
A good resource for this background is the MSNBC special report China:
Revolution at 50. Learn about the history of the Chinese revolution
with Slide
show: China's long march. View each of the slides in order,
1-11, and read the captions. Pay particular attention to Slide 4 and
the defeat of General Chiang Kai-Shek's Nationalists, who fled to Taiwan
to escape communist rule. This event marks the beginning of the authoritarian
rule of the Nationalist Party in Taiwan (Chen's election marks the end).
Next, browse to China-Taiwan timeline and study the chronology of the Taiwanese Nationalist Party rule under Chaing, and of the Communist Party rule of the People's Republic of China under Chairman Mao Tse-tung. How did the 1988 democratic election of Lee Teng-hui lead to the rise of the Democratic Progressive Party?
Return to the main Revolution at 50 page and click Beijing's view of the world. Read the essay, and then click Taiwan in the Select an Issue section at the top of the page. Click each tab to read the events of that decade. Why is it so important for China to control Taiwan? Why won't China accept Taiwan as a separate, independent country?
Chen Shui-ban
Get
to know President-elect Chen Shui-ban by visiting the @-Bian
Campaign 2000 Web site (English version). Start by reading Chen's
Background
as the son of a poor sugar plantation farmer who went on to graduate
at the top of his class with a law degree. Also read the story of Chen's
wife, Wu
Shu-jen. You may also be interested in the Introduction
of Annette Lu, Chen's running mate. How do you think the backgrounds
of these individuals have prepared them to lead Taiwan at this pivotal
time in its history?
Next, click the Platform link and read the White Paper on China Policy. Based on what you know about the political history of Taiwan and China, how successful do you think Chen will be at ensuring the security, survival and development of Taiwan? Do you think Taiwan will be able to maintain its independent sovereignty?
Newspaper Activities
Conflict between opposing factions seems to be an inevitable part of life. The conflict between China and Taiwan has a 50-year history, yet there is no clear resolution in sight. Some local conflicts may also have a long history, the details of which you can often find in news reports. Look for such a story of conflict in a recent or current issue of The Denver Post or Rocky Mountain News. In particular, look for reports that give an account of the history of a conflict. What is the origin of the conflict? How might good leadership and mediation be used to arrive at a resolution? How likely is this to happen in the case of the conflict you've identified?
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Learners Online, Inc.