Sensationalist headline, trading journalistic integrity for website clicks. But I suppose “shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than three years” doesn’t draw as much attention.
Imprisonment for simply saying something that in no sane world would be considered a crime.
I’ll notify Julian Assange.
Taiwan is already independent. Now come try and kill me
Taiwan is already independent.
Its territorial waters are absolutely swarming with US and Chinese warships. Its economy is fully dependent on exports to its major trade partners. Its currency is in an inflationary spiral as it becomes increasingly beholden to foreign reserves to do business. The Taiwanese Diaspora is the same size as the island population, with most of the local developed property owned by these Overseas Taiwanese expats.
They don’t control their borders or territorial waters. They don’t have meaningful sovereignty. They aren’t agriculturally or economically self-reliant. They’re just a spot on the board for the superpowers to fight over.
You know I was genuinely interested to see if someone could come up with a meaningful definition of a country that would exclude Taiwan, but include all other countries. It seems like the solution is to simply make shit up, points for trolling though I guess.
someone could come up with a meaningful definition of a country that would exclude Taiwan, but include all other countries
The classical definition of sovereignty doesn’t apply to Taiwan, no matter how you slice it. They’re not a country in the same way that Palestine and Hawaii and Quebec and Crimea aren’t countries.
Ah yes, the comparable states of Hawaii, Quebec and Crimea which famously issue their own passports, have their own heads of state, pass their own laws and are not subject to the laws of parent states. At least Palestine is a closer example but Palestinian statehood is in the best case for your argument debatable and that’s being very generous.
It seems like you’re either trolling as I suspected from your first comment or you’ve wandered much to far from your safe space where people might actually believe that nonsense. If you want to cast doubt on Taiwan’s sovereignty I suggest you stick to the classic talking points from the CCP which are also wrong but at least there’s actually something to get into there rather than just clumsy analogies that don’t hold up until the faintest scrutiny.
Ah yes, the comparable states of Hawaii, Quebec and Crimea which famously issue their own passports, have their own heads of state, pass their own laws and are not subject to the laws of parent states.
Each of these regions has its own governor and its own municipal laws.
Taiwanese residents who regularly travel to China carry a distinct Chinese passport precisely because the Taiwanese passport isn’t recognized. In fact the Taiwanese passport is notorious for how many problems it causes with international travel.
And thanks to the US defense pact, Taiwan is heavily beholden to US sanctions, trade restrictions, and travel embargoes. Taiwan isn’t independent, it is occupied territory. Much the same way as Crimea is occupied by Russia.
you’ve wandered much to far from your safe space
Its always fun to see people encounter some facts they haven’t seen before and conclude “These facts have simply been misplaced! I’m not supposed to be hearing them. They belong in somewhere else.”
