#Opinion by Alex Price｜"A confident administration should have little reason to hide the reasons and decisions behind its policies, and the more open it is, the more trust it will gain. Sadly, our government doesn’t appear to see things this way, and so journalists will just have to carry on trying to get gold from lead."

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Jenna Cody :

Is Taiwan a real China?
No, and with the exception of a few intervening decades - here’s the part that’ll surprise you - it never has been.

This’ll blow your mind too: that it never has been doesn’t matter.

So let’s start with what doesn’t actually matter.

Until the 1600s, Taiwan was indigenous. Indigenous Taiwanese are not Chinese, they’re Austronesian. Then it was a Dutch colony (note: I do not say “it was Dutch”, I say it was a Dutch colony). Then it was taken over by Ming loyalists at the end of the Ming dynasty (the Ming loyalists were breakaways, not a part of the new Qing court. Any overlap in Ming rule and Ming loyalist conquest of Taiwan was so brief as to be inconsequential).

Only then, in the late 1600s, was it taken over by the Chinese (Qing). But here’s the thing, it was more like a colony of the Qing, treated as - to use Emma Teng’s wording in Taiwan’s Imagined Geography - a barrier or barricade keeping the ‘real’ Qing China safe. In fact, the Qing didn’t even want Taiwan at first, the emperor called it “a ball of mud beyond the pale of civilization”. Prior to that, and to a great extent at that time, there was no concept on the part of China that Taiwan was Chinese, even though Chinese immigrants began moving to Taiwan under Dutch colonial rule (mostly encouraged by the Dutch, to work as laborers). When the Spanish landed in the north of Taiwan, it was the Dutch, not the Chinese, who kicked them out.

Under Qing colonial rule - and yes, I am choosing my words carefully - China only controlled the Western half of Taiwan. They didn’t even have maps for the eastern half. That’s how uninterested in it they were. I can’t say that the Qing controlled “Taiwan”, they only had power over part of it.

Note that the Qing were Manchu, which at the time of their conquest had not been a part of China: China itself essentially became a Manchu imperial holding, and Taiwan did as well, once they were convinced it was not a “ball of mud” but actually worth taking. Taiwan was not treated the same way as the rest of “Qing China”, and was not administered as a province until (I believe) 1887. So that’s around 200 years of Taiwan being a colony of the Qing.

What happened in the late 19th century to change China’s mind? Japan. A Japanese ship was shipwrecked in eastern Taiwan in the 1870s, and the crew was killed by hostile indigenous people in what is known as the Mudan Incident. A Japanese emissary mission went to China to inquire about what could be done, only to be told that China had no control there and if they went to eastern Taiwan, they did so at their own peril. China had not intended to imply that Taiwan wasn’t theirs, but they did. Japan - and other foreign powers, as France also attempted an invasion - were showing an interest in Taiwan, so China decided to cement its claim, started mapping the entire island, and made it a province.

So, I suppose for a decade or so Taiwan was a part of China. A China that no longer exists.

It remained a province until 1895, when it was ceded to Japan after the (first) Sino-Japanese War. Before that could happen, Taiwan declared itself a Republic, although it was essentially a Qing puppet state (though the history here is interesting - correspondence at the time indicates that the leaders of this ‘Republic of Taiwan’ considered themselves Chinese, and the tiger flag hints at this as well. However, the constitution was a very republican document, not something you’d expect to see in Qing-era China.) That lasted for less than a year, when the Japanese took it by force.

This is important for two reasons - the first is that some interpretations of IR theory state that when a colonial holding is released, it should revert to the state it was in before it was taken as a colony. In this case, that would actually be The Republic of Taiwan, not Qing-era China. Secondly, it puts to rest all notions that there was no Taiwan autonomy movement prior to 1947.

In any case, it would be impossible to revert to its previous state, as the government that controlled it - the Qing empire - no longer exists. The current government of China - the PRC - has never controlled it.

After the Japanese colonial era, there is a whole web of treaties and agreements that do not satisfactorily settle the status of Taiwan. None of them actually do so - those which explicitly state that Taiwan is to be given to the Republic of China (such as the Cairo declaration) are non-binding. Those that are binding do not settle the status of Taiwan (neither the treaty of San Francisco nor the Treaty of Taipei definitively say that Taiwan is a part of China, or even which China it is - the Treaty of Taipei sets out what nationality the Taiwanese are to be considered, but that doesn’t determine territorial claims). Treaty-wise, the status of Taiwan is “undetermined”.

Under more modern interpretations, what a state needs to be a state is…lessee…a contiguous territory, a government, a military, a currency…maybe I’m forgetting something, but Taiwan has all of it. For all intents and purposes it is independent already.

In fact, in the time when all of these agreements were made, the Allied powers weren’t as sure as you might have learned about what to do with Taiwan. They weren’t a big fan of Chiang Kai-shek, didn’t want it to go Communist, and discussed an Allied trusteeship (which would have led to independence) or backing local autonomy movements (which did exist). That it became what it did - “the ROC” but not China - was an accident (as Hsiao-ting Lin lays out in Accidental State).

In fact, the KMT knew this, and at the time the foreign minister (George Yeh) stated something to the effect that they were aware they were ‘squatters’ in Taiwan.

Since then, it’s true that the ROC claims to be the rightful government of Taiwan, however, that hardly matters when considering the future of Taiwan simply because they have no choice. To divest themselves of all such claims (and, presumably, change their name) would be considered by the PRC to be a declaration of formal independence. So that they have not done so is not a sign that they wish to retain the claim, merely that they wish to avoid a war.

It’s also true that most Taiwanese are ethnically “Han” (alongside indigenous and Hakka, although Hakka are, according to many, technically Han…but I don’t think that’s relevant here). But biology is not destiny: what ethnicity someone is shouldn’t determine what government they must be ruled by.

Through all of this, the Taiwanese have evolved their own culture, identity and sense of history. They are diverse in a way unique to Taiwan, having been a part of Austronesian and later Hoklo trade routes through Southeast Asia for millenia. Now, one in five (I’ve heard one in four, actually) Taiwanese children has a foreign parent. The Taiwanese language (which is not Mandarin - that’s a KMT transplant language forced on Taiwanese) is gaining popularity as people discover their history. Visiting Taiwan and China, it is clear where the cultural differences are, not least in terms of civic engagement. This morning, a group of legislators were removed after a weekend-long pro-labor hunger strike in front of the presidential palace. They were not arrested and will not be. Right now, a group of pro-labor protesters is lying down on the tracks at Taipei Main Station to protest the new labor law amendments.

This would never be allowed in China, but Taiwanese take it as a fiercely-guarded basic right.

*

Now, as I said, none of this matters.

What matters is self-determination. If you believe in democracy, you believe that every state (and Taiwan does fit the definition of a state) that wants to be democratic - that already is democratic and wishes to remain that way - has the right to self-determination. In fact, every nation does. You cannot be pro-democracy and also believe that it is acceptable to deprive people of this right, especially if they already have it.

Taiwan is already a democracy. That means it has the right to determine its own future. Period.

Even under the ROC, Taiwan was not allowed to determine its future. The KMT just arrived from China and claimed it. The Taiwanese were never asked if they consented. What do we call it when a foreign government arrives in land they had not previously governed and declares itself the legitimate governing power of that land without the consent of the local people? We call that colonialism.

Under this definition, the ROC can also be said to be a colonial power in Taiwan. They forced Mandarin - previously not a language native to Taiwan - onto the people, taught Chinese history, geography and culture, and insisted that the Taiwanese learn they were Chinese - not Taiwanese (and certainly not Japanese). This was forced on them. It was not chosen. Some, for awhile, swallowed it. Many didn’t. The independence movement only grew, and truly blossomed after democratization - something the Taiwanese fought for and won, not something handed to them by the KMT.

So what matters is what the Taiwanese want, not what the ROC is forced to claim. I cannot stress this enough - if you do not believe Taiwan has the right to this, you do not believe in democracy.

And poll after poll shows it: Taiwanese identify more as Taiwanese than Chinese (those who identify as both primarily identify as Taiwanese, just as I identify as American and Armenian, but primarily as American. Armenian is merely my ethnicity). They overwhelmingly support not unifying with China. The vast majority who support the status quo support one that leads to eventual de jure independence, not unification. The status quo is not - and cannot be - an endgame (if only because China has declared so, but also because it is untenable). Less than 10% want unification. Only a small number (a very small minority) would countenance unification in the future…even if China were to democratize.

The issue isn’t the incompatibility of the systems - it’s that the Taiwanese fundamentally do not see themselves as Chinese.

A change in China’s system won’t change that. It’s not an ethnic nationalism - there is no ethnic argument for Taiwan (or any nation - didn’t we learn in the 20th century what ethnicity-based nation-building leads to? Nothing good). It’s not a jingoistic or xenophobic nationalism - Taiwanese know that to be dangerous. It’s a nationalism based on shared identity, culture, history and civics. The healthiest kind of nationalism there is. Taiwan exists because the Taiwanese identify with it. Period.

There are debates about how long the status quo should go on, and what we should risk to insist on formal recognition. However, the question of whether or not to be Taiwan, not China…

…well, that’s already settled.

The Taiwanese have spoken and they are not Chinese.

Whatever y’all think about that doesn’t matter. That’s what they want, and if you believe in self-determination you will respect it.

If you don’t, good luck with your authoritarian nonsense, but Taiwan wants nothing to do with it.

[News] โปรดิวเซอร์เปิดใจ! หากมีโอกาสก็อยากนำ Yakuza ภาค Ishin และ Kenzan มาวางขายฝั่งตะวันตกอยู่เหมือนกัน!
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คุณ Daisuke Sato ผู้อำนวยการสร้างเกมซีรีส์ Yakuza ได้เปิดใจในบทสัมภาษณ์กับทาง JP Games ว่า เขาอยากจะเห็น Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan! และ Ryu ga Gotoku Ishin ซึ่งเป็นภาคสปินออฟของเกมซีรีส์ Yakuza ที่วางจำหน่ายเฉพาะในประเทศญี่ปุ่น ได้แปลเป็นภาษาอังกฤษและวางจำหน่ายในฝั่งตะวันตกอยู่เหมือนกัน
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"โดยส่วนตัวแล้ว ผมก็อยากจะเห็นเกมภาคเหล่านี้ ได้รับการแปลงภาษา และเล่นอย่างสนุกสนานโดยแฟนๆ ฝั่งตะวันตกของเรา ในตอนนี้ พวกเรากำลังเน้นการวางรากฐานของซีรีส์ในฝั่งตะวันตก มาตั้งแต่ Yakuza 0 ดังนั้น เลยทำให้เวลาผ่านมานาน จนไม่มีโอกาสเหมาะๆ ในการหันมามองเกม 2 ภาคนี้สักที
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แต่ในความเห็นของผมแล้ว ความเป็นแอ็คชัน [ใน 2 ภาคดังกล่าว] ถือได้ว่าดีที่สุดในซีรีส์เลยด้วยซ้ำ ดังนั้น หากพวกเรามีโอกาส ผมก็อยากจะนำทั้ง 2 ภาคมาแปลภาษาเหมือนกัน
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อย่างไรก็ตาม [Ishin] ก็วางจำหน่ายมาเกือบ 7 ปีแล้ว ทำให้เราอาจจะต้องทำงานเพิ่ม เพื่อรีเมคมัน แทนที่จะเป็นการพอร์ตมาแบบห้วนๆ ดังนั้น การตัดสินใจที่จะทำหรือไม่ มันก็เลยซับซ้อนกว่าเดิมหน่อย"
คุณ Sato อธิบาย
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Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan! เป็นเกมสปินออฟของซีรีส์ Yakuza ซึ่งวางจำหน่ายเมื่อปี 2008 บน PS3 ที่ตัวเกมมีฉากหลังในประเทศญี่ปุ่นในประวัติศาสตร์ช่วงต้นยุค 1600s ที่เล่าเรื่องราวของนักดาบญี่ปุ่นชื่อดัง นามว่า Miyamoto Musashi
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ในขณะที่ Ryu ga Gotoku Ishin! วางจำหน่ายบน PS4 ในปี 2014 ที่มีฉากหลังในช่วงกลางยุคปี 1800s ที่ผู้เล่นได้รับบทเป็นซามูไรนามว่า Sakamoto Ryoma
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เกมซีรีส์ Yakuza กำลังลดราคาใน WinGameStore เหลือราคาดังนี้
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https://www.wingamestore.com/product/12342/Yakuza-3-Remastered/?ars=mQcjfGj
Yakuza 3 Remastered ลด 19% เหลือ $16.28 ประมาณ 490 บาท (Steam)
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https://www.wingamestore.com/product/12334/Yakuza-4-Remastered/?ars=mQcjfGj
Yakuza 4 Remastered ลด 19% เหลือ $16.28 ประมาณ 490 บาท (Steam)
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https://www.wingamestore.com/product/12335/Yakuza-5-Remastered/?ars=mQcjfGj
Yakuza 5 Remastered ลด 19% เหลือ $16.28 ประมาณ 490 บาท (Steam)
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https://www.wingamestore.com/product/12344/Yakuza-Remastered-Collection/?ars=mQcjfGj
Yakuza Remastered Collection ลด 19% เหลือ $32.49 ประมาณ 980 บาท (Steam)
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https://www.wingamestore.com/product/11908/Yakuza-Like-a-Dragon-Day-Ichi-Edition/?ars=mQcjfGj
Yakuza: Like a Dragon Day Ichi Edition ลด 20% เหลือ $47.99 ประมาณ 1440 บาท (Steam)
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https://www.wingamestore.com/product/11909/Yakuza-Like-a-Dragon-Hero-Edition/?ars=mQcjfGj
Yakuza: Like a Dragon Hero Edition ลด 19% เหลือ $56.99 ประมาณ 1720 บาท (Steam)
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https://www.wingamestore.com/product/11910/Yakuza-Like-a-Dragon-Legendary-Hero-Edition/?ars=mQcjfGj
Yakuza: Like a Dragon Legendary Hero Edition ลด 19% เหลือ $72.99 ประมาณ 2190 บาท (Steam)
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รายละเอียดเพิ่มเติมดูที่หน้าร้านค้า
https://www.wingamestore.com/search/?SearchWord=yakuza&ars=mQcjfGj
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Source: https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/yakuzas-producer-wants-to-bring-japan-only-games-kenzan-and-ishin-to-the-west/
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Steam Wallet, Battle.net Code, PSN ซื้อง่าย ได้โค๊ดทันที >> GGKeyStore.com
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Cyberpunk 2077 ลดราคาเหลือ 856 บาท (GOG) ดูที่นี่ - http://bit.ly/3hRHVBF

#500Bros #BommanReview #ROG #NVIDIA
Trải nghiệm chiếc GPU xịn xò và đáng mua nhất của Asus - Asus TUF GTX 1660S O6G Gaming Super
Sản phẩm đang được phân phối chính hãng bởi NPP Vĩnh Xuân (SPC) tại Việt Nam. Các bạn có thể mua tại bất cứ siêu thị điện máy hoặc techstore trên toàn quốc với chế độ bảo hành 5 năm.

Mình là Bomman đến từ 500Bros Studio
Đây là kênh Youtube cá nhân của mình nơi mình sống thật với bản thân, tất nhiên kênh này sẽ không thể làm hài lòng được tất cả mọi người, anh em nào cảm thấy không xem được thì làm ơn xin bỏ qua nhé. Thanks

►Các bạn ĐĂNG KÝ kênh của mình tại: http://bit.ly/324TUTJ
Nhớ BẬT CHUÔNG để nhận được thông báo mỗi khi mình ra video mới nhé!!!!

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Liên hệ hợp tác: talents@500bros.com Booking: 0906120191 - Mr.Eddy

#500Bros #Bomman #CSGO #PUBG

**Yaoya Oshichi เป็นชื่อของเด็กสาวที่ก่อเหตุวางเพลิงในสมัยเอโดะ เพื่อทีจะได้อยู่กับคนรักค่ะ
**Yaoya Oshichi was a girl from the 1600s who burned at the stake for committing arson for love.

ฮือออ เพลงนี้ตอนแรกว่าจะไม่ทำแล้วนะคะ แต่ทุกคนระดมขอกันมาเยอะมาก เยอะแบบ เยอะะะะ เกินไป!! ก็เลยอ่ะ...ทำก็ได้ 5555 ตอนฟังครั้งแรกนี่แบบ...เพลงอะไรฟระ ฟังยากมาก ร้องก็ยาก ดนตรีก็ยาก ใช้เอฟเฟคแบบ สิ้นเปลืองมากอะค่ะ ซาวด์การ์ดไม่ดี นั่งมิ้กส์นี่คอมแฮงค์เอาได้ง่ายๆ เลยค่ะ ยังไงก็หวังว่าทุกคนจะชอบกันน้า ถ้าชอบก็ฝากกดไลค์กดแชร์ แล้วก็กดซับสไครป์ด้วยนะคะ เจอกันใหม่คลิปหน้าจ้า

THIS SONG!! I actually decided not to cover it at first! But since you guy keep requesting a lot like…A LOT! TOO MANY REQUEST! So i had second thought and end up to make it. The song is so weird, very unique. Its full of effect both vocal part and instrumental part. It can explode your CPS while mixing it lol. Hope you enjoy! If you like it don’t forget to like and share and also subscribe this channel. See you in my next video!

Vocal & Video Editor :: MindaRyn
FP : https://www.facebook.com/MindaRynOfficial
IG : mindaryn_
Twitch : MindaRynOfficial
Twitter : @mindaryn_

Music creator :: Ebbie Yananda
https://www.instagram.com/ebbieyananda/

Filmed :: ButterFile Artist
https://www.facebook.com/ButterfileArtist/

Thai Translation :: screambarbez
https://lyricstranslate.com/en/%E7%81%AB%E7%82%8E-kaen-%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%9B%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%A7%E0%B9%84%E0%B8%9F.html

Patch 1.13 for Gran Turismo Sport came with 12 new cars, two new race track configurations, and three new GT League events

New Vehicles:
• Alpine A110 1600S
• Alpine A110 Première Édition
• Audi R8 4.2 FSI R tronic
• De Tomaso Pantera
• Dodge Challenger R/T
• Ford Mustang Mach 1
• Gran Turismo F1500T-A
• Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4
• Subaru WRX STI Isle of Man Time Attack Car
• Subaru BRZ Falken Tire / Turn 14 Distribution
• Toyota Supra 3.0GT Turbo A
• Toyota MR2 GT-S

GT League Events:
• Stars & Stripes – Beginner League
• Vision Gran Turismo Trophy – Amateur League
• F1500 Championship – Professional League

Tracks:
• Blue Moon Bay Speedway Infield A
• Blue Moon Bay Speedway Infield B

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