Ethnic terminology bedevils Taiwan-China relations
A former Taiwanese president’s use of it raises hackles on the island
On both sides of the Taiwan Strait this week, people have been observing the Qingming festival by sweeping the tombs of their ancestors. Many Taiwanese think it only natural that Ma Ying-jeou, their former president, used a trip to the mainland to visit his grandfather’s tomb in Hunan province for such a ceremony. But many object to the way that Mr Ma has also been waxing lyrical about the shared ancestry of Taiwanese and mainlanders. In Taiwan, supporters of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (his own party is the Kuomintang or KMT) say his words smack of support for unification.
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This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “We are all Chinese”
From the April 8th 2023 edition
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