America's Stake In Taiwan

Heritage Foundation ^ | January 11, 2007 | John Tkacik, Jr.

[exmachinan]

Maybe this is too difficult for you to understand, just because the term Jhongguo was used in ancient times doesn't mean it was referring to the Chinese nation-state or even the country in general, and it certainly doesn't mean that it meant "the center of the world." Chinese grammar has changed dramatically over the last two millennia. Jhongguo as used historically almost always meant "the middle region of the country" (hence Midlands), rather than the "center of the world." Do you know, in Japan we also have a region called Chugoku (which is simply Japanese pronunciation of "Jhongguo")? It sure as hell isn't named after China, it's a geographic location.

But I'll play. The first instance of Jhongguo was in Shijing (Book of Songs) and later in Sanguozhi (Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms). In both cases, the term referred to a GEOGRAPHIC area in the Central Plains (Jhongyuan). Now you tell me, when did it start referring to the entire country?

[Graymatter]

You would think they'd want a thousand Taiwans to bloom, and would do their best to make that happen.

[maui_hawaii]

Do you know what any one of the following terms mean as related to Chinese language:

Xiang Xing

Zhi Shi

Hui Yi

Xing Sheng

Zhuan Zhu

Jia Jie

[maui_hawaii]

As for when it was used to describe the whole country, I don't know. But I know it was way before 1949 as you asserted.

A LONG time before.

[Paul Ross]

You would think they'd want a thousand Taiwans to bloom, and would do their best to make that happen.

They are far more interested in entangling the capitalists of Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and the U.S.

They are not interested in having another haven where the Chinese can be free from their opressive regime. Meantime, they keep ratcheting up the pressures on Hong Kong...but slowly, gradually so as not to tip off the West...and to force the Hong Kongers to "acclimate" to loss of freedom, ala' the frog swimming in the pot of water being brought to a boil...

[MARKUSPRIME]

No im the resident chicom basher.

[rmlew]

I like Taiwan and support it. However, unless the voters are willing to stand up for Taiwanese independence, neither should we. Unless the "blue Coalition" puts anti-Communism ahead of cash and Chinease nationalism or is fractured, Taiwan is doomed. I see no reason to risk nucelar war for a country willing top commit suicide.

[Paul Ross]

I can agree in principle. But it would help "buck up" the Taiwanese resolve to stand up for their independence...if our own government didn't keep siding with the Chi-Comms instead.

The "One China" stuff has to be ended.

[GOP_1900AD]

We should simply assert our rights with no warning. It would be our own in your face, EP-3 moment on a grand scale. In my dreams, on that very same day, we'd quit the UN and tell them to get off our soil. Totalitarians respect that sort of attitude, but laugh at appeasement and weakness.