EDITORIAL — China should read the right books

It seems that the Communist leadership in Beijing is losing sleep after President Ferdinand Marcos sent his congratulations to Taiwan president-elect Lai Ching-te.

According to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, the act was “a serious breach of the political commitments made by the Philippines to the Chinese side, and a gross interference in China’s internal affairs.”

“We suggest that President Marcos read more books to properly understand the ins and outs of the Taiwan issue so as to draw the right conclusions,” Mao said.

Of course it’s an insult. But China has been a bully for such a long time it can no longer tell when it’s making one, or just doesn’t really care.

Let’s get two things straight. First, we are a sovereign country and we can do as we damn well please. If our president wants to congratulate a fellow democratically-elected leader then so be it.

This One-China policy is not something we choose freely. It is something that China imposes on others nations in the hope that Taiwan, which it considers a “rogue state” and covets for its wealth and success, will be alienated from the rest of the world.

While we do adhere to this One-China policy, detrimental as it is to another sovereign nation, it is only to keep the peace and nothing more. This doesn’t change the fact that we have an estimated 151,000 Overseas Filipino Workers making a living there.

It is for this reason that we maintain some kind of relationship with Taiwan, whether this is considered official or not.

Second, Taiwan is also a sovereign nation on its own and it can also do as it

damn well pleases. This includes conducting credible elections. The fact that Taiwan is able to hold its own elections is proof that it is a sovereign nation.

It’s actually China that should read books. By this we mean the right ones, and not the ones they publish. Historically Taiwan was never part of China, not the Communist version anyway, and any claims it continues to make over it are false.