OLYMPIC TAIWAN

The Chicoms intend to use the 2008 Beijing Olympics as did the Nazis in the 1936 Berlin Olympics – as a glorification of their rule and a demand that the world provide it with the prestige it so desperately craves.  That's their dream.

Last May in Chinese Wishes, we discussed how the Chicoms' dearest dream may turn out to be a nightmare of protests and boycotts, a human rights debacle of Olympian proportions.

It looks like this nightmare is going to get worse. 

The great flashpoint for war between China and America is, of course, Taiwan.  China claims it is a "renegade province," and maniacally threatens military force should it declare independence.

On the other side of the looney political coin is Taiwan calling itself "The Republic of China," or ROC (as opposed to the Chicoms calling their government "The People's Republic of China," or PRC.)

Looney because the outfit that established the ROC was the Kuomintang (KMT) government of China defeated by Mao's Communists, which fled to Taiwan in 1949 and proceeded to claim it and not the Commies were still China's legitimate rulers.

Neither claim that each is the legit ruler of the other has any validity – especially when, as a matter of international law, Taiwan is an Overseas Territory of the US.  (See Is Taiwan A Possession of the United States? from August 2005.)

As it is, Taiwan remains an unrecognized state, denied membership in the UN and most international organizations.  And if it tries to break free, China promises war.

Once an oppressive one-party dictatorship (the KMT), Taiwan's now-democratically elected government run by the DPP (the Democratic Peoples Party) has identified a window of opportunity to escape from the dilemma.

The Beijing Olympics begin on August 8 (8/8/08, 8 being the Chinese lucky number).  About a week before, when the Chinese are completely pre-occupied with managing their coming-out party and worrying about demonstrators on Tienanmen Square, Taiwan is going to go for it.

And the escape will be through the back door.

Rather than formally declare independence, two announcements will be made. 

First will be that the official name of the government will be changed from The Republic of China to The Republic of Taiwan.

Second will a formal announcement that the government of The Republic of Taiwan renounces any claim to be the legitimate government of China.

The Chicoms will be helpless to prevent this.  They simply cannot take any military actions during the Olympics.  By the time the Games are over, the announcements are fait accomplish.

Taiwan will respond with feigned innocence that they didn't really declare independence, just made a simple name change and recognized the PRC government as legitimate.  How can the Chicoms complain about that?

Watch for it.  Taiwan will make its move on the eve of the Beijing Olympics.  This, and the anti-Chicom demonstrations, will be more fun to watch than the Games themselves.