Could Taiwan clear the bar for statehood? A scholar from the Chinese mainland has challenged Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te's recent claim that 'Taiwan is a country', arguing his take on the four key elements of statehood is off base.
Wang Yingjin, director of the cross-Strait relations research center at Renmin University of China, breaks down the four essential elements – population, territory, government and sovereignty – and finds Taiwan falling short on every count.
Population: Taiwan's 23 million residents are seen as people of a local administrative region, part of the broader Chinese population. According to Wang, the term people in the principle that sovereignty belongs to the people refers to all Chinese people, not just those on the island.
Territory: While Taiwan authorities administer Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Mazu, Wang argues this is a temporary local arrangement; ultimate territorial sovereignty belongs collectively to Chinese people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
Government: The so-called Taiwan government, in Wang's view, acts as a local authority and lacks the status of an international sovereign under international law.
Sovereignty: Taiwan's sovereignty, Wang asserts, belongs to China. Though full reunification remains a goal, China's sovereignty has not split, and the one-China principle holds: Taiwan is a part of China and brooks no challenge.
Wang's critique underscores the complex dynamics of cross-strait ties and sparks fresh debate about how statehood is defined in today's geopolitical landscape.
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Expert debunks Lai's argument for so-called Taiwan's 'statehood'
cgtn.com
