(Ed. Note: Ko didn't mention how Taiwan has been a puppet of and a de-facto colony of the United States since 1947. What the United States has done to meddle in Taiwan affairs, beginning with approving two million ruling class migrants and turning their backs on the 228 massacre of Taiwanese intellectuals by Chinese KMT invaders, not to mention the billions of dollars of military and surveillance equipment sold and given away to "Free China" during the 39 year world-record duration U.S. approved Martial Law, military bases, sex industry, sweatshop economy and anti-unionism. The United States remains unmentioned as the biggest foreign influence in Taiwan in the 20th century.)
Ko Wen-je talks colonialism, China
CULTURE GAP:The Taipei mayor said cross-strait cooperation is more important than discussing ‘unification’ in an online interview with ‘Foreign Policy’ magazine
By Abraham Gerber / Staff reporter
Colonization is associated with progress in the Chinese-speaking world, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said in an interview published on Thursday on the Foreign Policy magazine Web site.
“For the [world’s] four Chinese-speaking regions — Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Mainland China — the longer the colonization, the more advanced a place is,” Ko said, adding that it was “embarrassing” that “Singapore is better than Hong Kong; Hong Kong is better than Taiwan; Taiwan is better than the mainland.”
Ko did not elaborate, but Taipei City Government spokesman Sidney Lin (林鶴明) said the mayor’s remarks were intended to highlight some of the positive influences of colonization, without denying the “historic scars” and “bad memories” left behind by colonizers.
While the “open door” brought by colonization influenced colonized societies in a variety of ways, colonizers also left infrastructure and institutions that had an undeniably positive affect, Lin added.
In the interview, Ko reiterated comments that the “cultural gap” between Taiwan and China had to be closed before there could be any talk of “reunification.”
“When more than 99 percent of Chinese people close the doors while doing their business in bathrooms, we can talk about reunification [sic],” he said.
On cross-strait relations, he said: “Cooperation is more important than reunification,” while speaking of a need to convince China that “a free and democratic Taiwan is more in China’s interest than reunification.”
“People talked about ‘one country, two systems,’ but maybe we should talk about ‘two countries, one system’ instead,” he said.
Ko’s celebrity and status as an independent politician have led to hopes that he might be able serve as a bridge between the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and China through his participation in the annual Taipei-Shanghai forum.
Whether his proposal for a “two countries, one system” formula would have a bearing on cross-strait relations is unknown.
Late last night, Lin said that Ko has an open attitude toward cross-strait city-to-city exchanges and upholds the principles that both sides should know, understand and respect each other while cooperating.
In response to Ko’s proposal last week that the forum include other cities, Shanghai Mayor Yang Xiong (楊雄) said that further exchanges were welcome “on the foundation of the 1992 consensus.”
While China insists that the so-called “1992 consensus” of “one China with different interpretations” must be the premise of any cross-strait talks, Ko said in December last year that the slogan was a 22 year-old “consensus without consensus,” which should be replaced by what he termed a “2015 consensus.”
He declined to define what such a consensus might be.
“Without taking any position on the 1992 consensus, it is impossible to expect Shanghai to cooperate,” National Taiwan University associate professor of political science Chang Teng-chi (張登及) said. “The original hope was that there might be a possibility for Ko as an independent to have a greater flexibility to reinterpret the 1992 consensus by reiterating some part of it without ‘recognizing’ or ‘totally denying it.’”
Asked about Ko’s colonization remarks, National Chengchi University Taiwanese History department professor Hsueh Hua-yuan (薛化元) said that imperialism in contemporary history often brought about systems and construction that are later utilized by the former colony.
It is hard to deny that colonists affected their former colonies and brought about the modernization of colonized areas, Hsueh said.
National Taipei University Department of Administration and Policy professor Hao Pei-chih (郝培芝) said that the comments reflect Ko’s experience and views that being law-abiding represents advancement.
What is left for the former colony depends largely on the colonizer, Hao said, referring to how most former French colonies remain less developed, while those of England and Japan were more developed.
Additional reporting by Tseng Wei-chen and Jake Chung, staff reporter with staff writer
Taipei mayor's comments on benefits of colonization draw rebukes
2015/01/31 21:42:19
Taipei, Jan. 30 (CNA) Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je's (柯文哲) remarks that "the longer the colonization, the more advanced a place is" have drawn flak from scholars and lawmakers for overlooking the problems created by colonization.
Ko's comments in an interview published Thursday by Foreign Policy only look at the issue from one simple angle, failing to reflect the fact that colonization is a historical tragedy and ignoring the trauma the process causes, said Professor Chang Ya-chung (張亞中) of National Taiwan University.
Chang said that during the colonial rule of Taiwan, Japan-led development of the island was aimed at benefiting the Japanese homeland, and Taiwanese were seen as second-class citizens.
"Nobody likes to be colonized, and colonization is a misfortune," said Hsueh Hua-yuen (薛化元), a professor of Taiwanese history at National Chengchi University.
He explained that under the principle of cultural relativism, different cultures should not be compared as better or worse than one other.
Wang Hsiao-po (王曉波), a prominent commentator and professor at Shih Hsin University in Taipei, pointed to the United Nations declaration in 1960 on granting independence to colonial countries and peoples on the conviction that colonialism hampers world peace.
He said that progress cannot be attributed entirely to the length of colonization of a place as it involves geographic and historical factors as well.
Citing the example of Hong Kong, Wang said its prosperity is due to a long-term closed-door policy in China's other regions that made Hong Kong the only export harbor; for Singapore, its success comes from a superb location for shipping in the Malaccan Strait.
Lawmakers from the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) and its allies were also quick to criticize Ko's comments.
"Nobody should beautify colonial rule in any form, especially an intellectual in a former colony," KMT Legislator Lin Yu-fang (林郁方) said, noting Japanese violence against Taiwan's indigenous people during its 50-year rule of Taiwan.
Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇) also of the KMT said Ko should apologize for this "serious gaffe."
Yok Mu-ming (郁慕明), chairman of the minor New Party allied with the KMT, said: "I don't understand Ko's words."
He argued that if colonial rule brought so many benefits, colonized countries would not have to fight for their independence.
Taipei City spokesman Lin Ho-ming (林鶴明) came to Ko's defense, arguing that colonization leaves "bad memories, but it also has an influence that can be assessed positively."
"Colonialism means opening the door, which is bound to bring the shock of cultural diversity, but will naturally bring influences like civilization and institutionalization," he said.
Institutions and infrastructure brought by rulers of the past "objectively speaking have an undeniable positive effect, but at the same time, the historical scars they leave must be addressed," he said.
(By Hsieh Chia-chen, Chen Chih-chung, Tseng Ying-yu and Lilian Wu)
Enditem/WH
Ko's comments in an interview published Thursday by Foreign Policy only look at the issue from one simple angle, failing to reflect the fact that colonization is a historical tragedy and ignoring the trauma the process causes, said Professor Chang Ya-chung (張亞中) of National Taiwan University.
Chang said that during the colonial rule of Taiwan, Japan-led development of the island was aimed at benefiting the Japanese homeland, and Taiwanese were seen as second-class citizens.
"Nobody likes to be colonized, and colonization is a misfortune," said Hsueh Hua-yuen (薛化元), a professor of Taiwanese history at National Chengchi University.
He explained that under the principle of cultural relativism, different cultures should not be compared as better or worse than one other.
Wang Hsiao-po (王曉波), a prominent commentator and professor at Shih Hsin University in Taipei, pointed to the United Nations declaration in 1960 on granting independence to colonial countries and peoples on the conviction that colonialism hampers world peace.
He said that progress cannot be attributed entirely to the length of colonization of a place as it involves geographic and historical factors as well.
Citing the example of Hong Kong, Wang said its prosperity is due to a long-term closed-door policy in China's other regions that made Hong Kong the only export harbor; for Singapore, its success comes from a superb location for shipping in the Malaccan Strait.
Lawmakers from the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) and its allies were also quick to criticize Ko's comments.
"Nobody should beautify colonial rule in any form, especially an intellectual in a former colony," KMT Legislator Lin Yu-fang (林郁方) said, noting Japanese violence against Taiwan's indigenous people during its 50-year rule of Taiwan.
Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇) also of the KMT said Ko should apologize for this "serious gaffe."
Yok Mu-ming (郁慕明), chairman of the minor New Party allied with the KMT, said: "I don't understand Ko's words."
He argued that if colonial rule brought so many benefits, colonized countries would not have to fight for their independence.
Taipei City spokesman Lin Ho-ming (林鶴明) came to Ko's defense, arguing that colonization leaves "bad memories, but it also has an influence that can be assessed positively."
"Colonialism means opening the door, which is bound to bring the shock of cultural diversity, but will naturally bring influences like civilization and institutionalization," he said.
Institutions and infrastructure brought by rulers of the past "objectively speaking have an undeniable positive effect, but at the same time, the historical scars they leave must be addressed," he said.
(By Hsieh Chia-chen, Chen Chih-chung, Tseng Ying-yu and Lilian Wu)
Enditem/WH
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