Taiwan polls

Some 23 million people live in Taiwan and whether they consider themselves Taiwanese or Chinese depends on who you ask.

Taiwan might have its own flag, constitution, army, currency and democratically elected government, but it is not allowed to be a member of the United Nations and has diplomatic relations with almost nobody.

This is because Taiwan is considered by the People's Republic of China as part of its territory. Indeed, Taiwan is officially known as the Republic of China and the population is divided as to where they belong.

In 1949, the Kuomintang-led government and army fled mainland China when the Communists won the civil war. The Kuomintang imposed martial law on Taiwan and ruled for 40 years, discriminating against native Taiwanese and not allowing them to speak their language.

But in the 1990s, Taiwan became the only Chinese-speaking democracy in the world. Wu Hung-che remembers being forced to revere Chinese culture as a child. "It was drummed into us that we were Chinese," the graphic designer recalls. "However, ever since I've been able to think it has been clear that China and Taiwan are actually very different."

The anti-China Democratic Progress Party came to power in 1996 and successfully fielded a presidential candidate four years later. But during its rule, it became clear that not only was Beijing averse to its radical stance and its attempts to rename the state the "Republic of Taiwan," but much of the population itself was reluctant to wage complete independence.

Less radical rhetoric

Now, after four years in opposition, the DPP is campaigning on a slightly less radical ticket. Party chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen knows that Taiwan's more moderate floating voters will make or break the election for her and she has detached herself from the older generation's independence rhetoric. "The Republic of China is Taiwan and Taiwan is the Republic of China" is the slogan. In the past, the Kuomintang has criticized the party for not complying with the constitution.

"There are still very clear lines in the older generation," explains politics lecturer Chuang Yin. "They either support Taiwanese independence or define themselves as Chinese. However, most students just consider themselves Taiwanese without thinking about it." This is true for some two thirds of the population according to recent polls - a significant change, which Chuang attributes partly to democracy, national pride and negative experiences with mainland Chinese.

Wu Hung-che says that he doesn't feel Chinese and won't so long as Beijing does not rule Taiwan. He is not worried about offending anyone: "We can say everything freely. It's not the same as 30 or 40 years ago. That's life in Taiwan."

Author: Klaus Bardenhargen / act
Editor: Darren Mara