They have a right to be free of Chinese Communist control.
The mainland may be prosperous, but it is a filthy dictatorship.
Too many people including our own government put money ahead of principle.
Chen has political problems of his own from what I understand, but I know the mainland will use any means to take control of Taiwan. That stinks.
If Chen wants to stand up to them, more power to him.
We don't need apologists for communism (with free market economics or not).
China=Castro with prosperity.
Have you been to China recently? I have. The government may be authoritarian, even dictatorial in many ways, but the amount of political and economic freedom enjoyed by people there is, relatively speaking, amazing to see.
I mean, there are a billion people in China. It's unrealistic to imagine that it will turn into some kind of democratic wonderland overnight.
The KMT party in Taiwan is staunchly opposed to independence. Their likelihood of victory in the next national election is fairly high.
I had to follow up on your comment that:
"China=Castro with prosperity."
Chinese citizens are free to leave the country at will. Chinese newsstands and book stores carry publications like USA Today, The Economist, even the Bible. MSNBC and CNN are carried on some cable TV outlets.
Yes, I know that all of these (except the Bible, I believe) are occasionally censored. I realize that web sites (such as FR) are unavailable. But China is nothing like Cuba anymore.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus