Nationalism Two Distinct Political Movements Influence the Term Paper

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Nationalism

Two distinct political movements influence the course of modern Taiwanese history: groups that are pro-independence and those that favor eventual unification with mainland China. In the year 2000, the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party came into power in Taiwan, taking over from the well-established Kuomintang (Chinese Nationalist Party). The official websites of these two major Taiwanese political parties display different approaches to the independence issue as well as to Taiwanese history and culture. The tone of writing, content, and design layout of these websites also distinguish the attitudes of these opposing political parties.

The Kuomintang enjoys the honor of being the most well-established and historically popular political party on the island of Taiwan. Started by Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the Kuomintang savored relatively unchallenged political dominance until the year 2000. The Kuomintang website at http://www.kmt.org.tw/e_index.html, which only offers one page of information in the English language, only briefly mentions the peaceful turnover of power, and does not refer to opposition parties like the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). This indicates their continued confidence in the support of a large number of Taiwanese residents. Moreover, text on the Kuomintang website indicates that the party is synonymous with the nation of Taiwan: "For more than a century, the Kuomintang and the Republic of China have been inseparable." The fact that the official party website only offers one page of text in English emphasizes the nationalist stance of party ideology and underscores pride in Chinese heritage, language, and culture. A photograph accompanying the title bar of the website shows a variety of happy men and women: those who belong to the Kuomintang are those who help to define the nation of Taiwan. As the Chinese Nationalist Party, the Kuomintang promotes a strong sense of Chinese identity among residents of Taiwan as well as Taiwanese nationals living abroad. Language, ethnicity, culture, and political values are key components to the formation of national identity within the Kuomintang framework.

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Ties to mainland China through family lineage and business are encouraged.

The Kuomintang website emphasizes the party's inception as a "revolutionary" party in the early twentieth century and traces the evolution of party politics since 1912. By tracing the development of Taiwanese political history vis-a-vis the role of the Kuomintang, the website effectively merges the interests of Taiwan with the interests of the party. The Kuomintang depicts the history of the nation as a struggle for democracy in the face of immense opposition not only from mainland China but also from invading forces. The website makes no mention of the support of the international community or its role in the future of Taiwan's identity as a nation.

The official flag of the Kuomintang (a white sun on blue background) is displayed in stylized three-dimensional form in the upper left-hand corner of the website. Blue is the symbolic color of the pro-unification political forces in Taiwan; the pro-independence political movements are generally referred to as the "pan-green" coalition. Furthermore, the center of the flag is a globe, pointing to the Kuomintang's willingness to participate in the global community in spite of being staunchly nationalist. Their concern is not so much with the recognition of Taiwan as a separate political entity in the United Nations as it is with preserving Chinese culture within a democratic framework on the island. Unlike the websites of other Taiwanese political organizations, namely the opposing Democratic Progressive Party, the Kuomintang website displays no map of the island of Taiwan, as the Kuomintang is overtly pro-unification. As the entire Kuomintang website except for one page is published in Chinese, it is difficult for the non-Chinese speaker to assess the various political programs the party sponsors without visiting outside links.

The official website for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) at http://www.dpp.org.tw/,on the….....

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