Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

What does “desinicization” mean and what would it take to desinicize Taiwan? If Taiwan were desinicized, what would be left? Would that allow Taiwan to finally be Taiwan?

These and many other questions flood the mind after American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Chairman James Moriarty opened an old can of worms with comments made during his visit to Taiwan.

Taiwan appears to have successfully carried out its democratization and developed a Taiwanese identity. This is reflected in how parties other than the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) can be elected to rule. As it stands, if the KMT rejects desinicization, it will have no chance of a comeback.

Culturally, however, Taiwanese find themselves mired in the remaining fragments of the party-state ideology from the Martial Law era: a cultural affinity for China, hostility toward democracy and an obsession with outdated, conservative feudalism.