The reasons for Taiwan’s low birth rate remain simple

I was in Tainan over the weekend — I have no specific post about it because I didn’t do anything out of the ordinary, but I’ll share a few pictures. A lot of the temples there have those wooden plaques you can write a wish on, pray, and then hang your wish on a board or tree. If you actually stop to read other people’s wishes (and I do), you’ll notice that one of the most common is to “marry and have kids” or “have a little treasure as soon as possible”. Health, peace, love, family and career/financial success are also popular, for obvious reasons. 

But it struck me — for a country with a population that the news keeps saying doesn’t want to procreate, a lot of people sure do want to procreate. 

In fact, recent statistics show that Taiwan’s birthrate has continued to fall, remaining at or near the bottom of global fertility rankings. There’s some variation, with numbers being higher in Changhua, the outlying islands, Taoyuan and to a lesser extent, Hsinchu.

I wrote about this a very long time ago. The article probably sucks and I don't feel like going back to read it again, but I think it’s time to take another look. Mostly, I want to point out that people do want to have children. The question isn’t how to change people's attitudes; it’s how to make what most people already want possible. Shaming them simply won't work, as this Taipei Times article rightly points out.

Tricky Taipei has already published a good piece focusing on the availability of fertility treatments to unmarried people and same-sex couples, so I won’t cover that here. (I also hit this topic in 2016, so there's no need to repeat). The gist: anyone can freeze their eggs, but one must be legally married to a person of the opposite sex to pursue treatments like IVF. That’s not right and it really must change.

For those who aren’t seeking fertility treatments, however, the reasons why the fertility rate is low should be pretty obvious. Here's a brief recap:

1.) Salaries are too low

When you think about the cost of having children compared to Taiwan’s famously stagnant salaries, would you want to constantly worry that you can’t pay bills or raise them the way you want? 

2.) Housing costs are too high

It’s not unusual to want to own your own home before starting a family, or be close to that goal. Although it feels like new apartment complexes are going up constantly, they’re often half-empty, with many units acting as tax shelters or investment properties, not living spaces. Everyday people can’t afford enough space to raise a family comfortably close enough to work and school, so they delay having children. 

3.) Working hours are too long

In other words, when you’re grinding yourself to a pulp a hundred hours a week for some crappy boss, you just don’t have the energy to bone down.

In addition, if you're a double income household but don’t have family who can help, but both parents work, childcare is expensive. This is probably why so many parents pay for cram schools: most of the time, it feels like fancy daycare because that’s exactly what it is. 

4.) Straight-up sexism

Adding to this, a lot of Taiwanese women describe the country’s pretty strong maternity leave policies as “看得到但是吃不到” — we can see it, but we can’t eat it. In theory it's guaranteed, but we can’t access it. I work with a lot of career-minded professionals and over and over, the women tell me that they absolutely face passive-aggressive (or just plain aggressive) repercussions at work for taking their full allotted maternity leave, or are discriminated against in hiring because employers fear they’ll have children soon. 

And, of course, the gender wage and work gaps don't help. Taiwanese women still earn less than men and typically 'female' jobs tend to be lower-to-middle white collar. Women who feel satisfied with their pay and career trajectory are probably more likely to feel ready to have children. 

5.) People are marrying later

Single parenthood is fairly rare in Taiwan, although of course it happens. The government actively discourages it -- the abortion laws are intentionally eugenicist, not egalitarian.

With people mostly intending to have children after marriage, getting married later means fewer years to have children. That's a good thing. Personally, I don’t think my sense of self was fully settled until I was over 25, and I was closer to 30 before I felt mature enough to actually make a marriage work. There's even research backing this up, so it's probably true for a lot of people. In the past this could be papered over somewhat with traditional gender and family expectations, though I would bet just as many marriages were what we’d now call ‘failed’ in the past, even if divorce was not accessible.

6.) Lifestyles are changing

This isn’t a bad thing. It’s not wrong to want to live in a desirable area near work and school, with enough space, near but not with family, as Taiwanese youth are coming to realize the benefits of some privacy. It’s not wrong to want some of the trappings of a good life for your family — everything from travel to new clothes when you need them to not stressing about bills to sending your kids to good schools. Stagnant salaries mean fewer children, period.

7.) Gender roles are changing

Women have known for awhile that having more children means more work for them, if their husbands don’t step up. This is especially true if your support network can't step up to help. Some women have the desire and ability to be stay-at-home mothers, but even for families who can afford it, not every woman wants to give up her career, even if the hours are punishing. Can you blame them for not wanting to take on more in a society with this kind of work culture, where men still do far less housework than women?

This is also why people are marrying later: in the past perhaps one didn’t get as much of a say over what their married life would look like, because expectations were so set. Men earned money, and women could work (often running the most important parts of the family business) but had to do all of the traditional ‘women’s’ work, too. Even the Taiwanese feminist movement of the 1970s accepted this. Now, people want to marry a partner, not a role.

An interesting aside: the birth rate doesn't seem to be affected that much by educational attainment. There's a  drop-off in bearing children between female Master's and PhD holders, and a dip for women with Master's degrees in their twenties, but otherwise, the birth rate for women with Master's degrees in their 30s and 40s exceeds those with college degrees. This is likely because they delayed having those children, so the uptick in births appears in higher age categories.

This explains a lot

This is probably why Changhua and the outlying islands and, to a lesser extent, Taoyuan and Hsinchu, have higher fertility rates. I can't prove this, but in my experience the outlying islands are more conservative generally, so expectations of gender roles and family life may not have changed as much. Plus, young people who stay instead of moving to Taiwan likely live near family.

Changhua has some good things going for it, and the Taichung job market isn’t far away. And, again, if you’ve decided to raise a family in Changhua, it’s likely because you want to be near your own family support network. Hsinchu has comparably lower housing costs relative to higher science park salaries, and Taoyuan is commutable to both Hsinchu and Taipei, as well as being its own logistics hub due to the airport.

So what can we do?

Personally, I’m not sure constantly growing the population is the best way forward. Taiwan has limited space, and it’s already densely packed. Other solutions to deal with a super-aged society until population can level off would probably be better, but I don’t have any to offer beyond increased assistance to seniors. 

And of course, the statistics could be improved immediately if we just created a path for dual nationality for all immigrants, including the majority who are workers from Southeast Asia. 

But let’s say we do want more babies in Taiwan. How do we get people to have them?

Family subsidies are an acceptable start, but they are insufficient and don't seem to be working well. Measures to promote increased wages and lower work hours — yes, both of these, at the same time — would have a stronger impact, but it's hard to say what would achieve this and how enforceable it would be. Crappy bosses wouldn't like it because they would have to hire the number of people actually needed to get the work done and pay them fairly, but the goal would also be to reduce the number of bosses who can get away with being crappy. 

Affordable housing is something that can be addressed immediately. Instead of big infrastructure projects (I’m looking at you, F***ing Taipei Dome and every unnecessary new "Aerotropolis" and science park plan) while greenlighting housing  nobody can afford to live in, why not focus on affordable housing, renovate unoccupied urban structures and incentivize (not force) private construction companies to build human shelter, not tax shelter? At the same time, create or expand a mortgage or deposit subsidy for people with dependent children that can help them buy a first or larger home. 

Affordable childcare would help too. France has a subsidized “crèche” system; why can’t Taiwan? While we're at it, increase the availability of low-cost or free public pre-school, and create more engaging after-school programs for children that don't involve sitting at a desk for a few more hours memorizing facts to regurgitate on tests.

Finally, the government can and must listen to gender equality thought leaders. With progressive laws that don’t stigmatize or render inaccessible single or same-sex couple parenthood, enforcing gender equality laws and a strong “step it up, men (and bosses)” message, chances are we can make Taiwan a society where having more children is once again an appealing choice for women. 

Some of these changes would be complex and difficult, but others would be relatively straightforward. Some do require an outlay of political capital: reasonable work hours and pay will anger employers used to exploiting workers, and some of those companies skate by on razor-thin margins. Homeowners and development companies won't want to see the value of their properties decrease as housing becomes more affordable.

While I do understand the reasons behind such push-back, the changes that would actually solve the birth rate problem will also result in greater socioeconomic and gender equality. A robust middle class creates appealing conditions for people to grow their families. Funny how that works, eh? I'm not particularly sympathetic to those who resist because they thrive on inequality, keeping salaries low and housing prices high.

The government has a choice here: either take the necessary steps to actually address the low birth rate and face the inevitable resistance head-on, or don't -- but then don't whine that young people aren't having children because the financial and housing security they need is out of reach.

Most people do want children. There is no problem with young people’s attitudes and even if there were, they’re not going to change so all we can do is work with them. So we need to look at society for what it is and create targeted solutions that actually address the underlying issues that cause people to decide against having more children.

For English teachers in Taiwan, is it "Lunar New Year" or "Chinese New Year"?

I hear that other cultures celebrate Taiwanese New Year as well. Apparently it's also a thing in China. 

(Please don't take this meme too seriously). 

Just a quick one for the first day of the Lunar New Year. 

When I first arrived in Taiwan, I called it Chinese New Year or CNY. Then I realized that wasn't the best term, as many cultures outside of China -- including Taiwanese culture -- also celebrate this holiday, and it's probably not good practice to tie it to China. It also ties in with CCP attempts to co-opt every cultural touchstone they see as "Chinese", promote it as theirs alone, and force people who don't identify as Chinese to accept Chineseness. Gross.

Like most people who go through this phase, I landed on Lunar New Year, and I still think that's the best choice. Only once has someone pointed out that it's technically decided by the the farmers'/luni-solar calendar, not the "lunar" calendar, but honestly, the goal is to pick a culturally neutral term and I'm not sure we need to go down a deep rabbit hole to find one. Plus, such arguments are usually a tad disingenuous; the people who make them often want to keep "Chinese New Year" as the common term by de-legitimizing everything else. 

(If you want to call it Lunisolar New Year, I certainly won't stop you.)

However, I quickly became a massive prig about Lunar New Year, to the point of correcting other people who said "Chinese New Year". I regret this. It's my holiday or part of my culture. I had no right to be correcting anyone for whom it is.

That didn't work either, though. A lot of students and trainees whom I knew didn't identify as Chinese and wanted to be able to talk about their cultures without having to link them to China still called it "Chinese New Year" for lack of a better term, especially as the word "Chinese" doesn't appear in any rendering of the holiday's name in any Sinitic language that I know of. The issue wasn't thinking that was the best word, it was an absence of alternatives -- a linguistic information gap. Some hadn't learned the word "lunar" yet.

I now recommend my current approach. I call it Lunar New Year,  clarify the word "lunar" if there's any confusion, and explain why if the context is right. When someone calls it "Chinese New Year" and I'm in a situation where it's clear my suggestion wouldn't be unwelcome, I point out that "Lunar New Year" is an option and why if necessary. Then I follow that up with "...but you can call it what you want" or "you can choose". 

The idea behind this is that language is a toolbox, and people who choose to take a language class (or study to become a teacher -- my main job these days is training) want those tools. They don't want or need to be told what to call things from their own culture in a foreign language. So instead of pushing cultural information -- forcing learners to accept that New Year is "Chinese" or not depending on your whims as a language authority -- it provides language information that can help them make their own choice. It raises awareness and offers options rather than providing a single 'way'. 

This also provides room for the argument for "Lunar New Year" to be persuasive enough on its own merits, not because it was pushed on anyone. It also opens up that space for Taiwanese learners of English to discuss the issue themselves and either choose to disagree or come to a resolution. Plenty of Taiwanese activists are already doing this work; "Lunar New Year" was not a term invented by foreigners. If they want to push harder for Lunar New Year, they have a better foundation to do so than someone who's not from here. We can support them but I don't know that we can ever be them. 

If a student or trainee continues to use "Chinese New Year", do I flinch a bit? Deep down in my heart of hearts, yes. Taiwan is my home and I do have opinions about it, as I've lived here a long time and have many local connections. But can we really call ourselves conscientious teachers of a language with an undeniably problematic history if we foist those opinions on people actually from the cultures we live in? The tools we offer can never be neutral, but they can be imbued with choice and their non-neutrality can be acknowledged.

So, I try not to show an outward reaction, even as I continue to call it Lunar New Year.

In other words, in the Year of the Ox, let's keep fighting CCP bullshit, but without resorting to their tactics of cultural imperialism. "Lunar New Year" will probably win out, because the case for it is sufficiently persuasive without your having to tell anyone what to think. 

Let's talk about immigration and quadruple standards (again)

An exhibit at the former Japanese Naval Guesthouse in Taipei, now an art gallery, featuring work by Taiwanese artists alongside artifacts from South and Southeast Asia.


I was recently quoted extensively in this Hong Kong Free Press article about the ongoing fight for dual nationality in Taiwan. I think overall the piece is quite good. 

The article covers some important points: even people born here to parents who don't have Chinese or Taiwanese ancestry can't get dual nationality. There is simply no pathway. Until just a few years ago that meant potentially being forced to leave the only country you've ever called home because there was no visa available. Now, that issue's been somewhat addressed by allowing such children to get permanent residency. Other streamlining has occurred, which helps, but still doesn't -- and can't -- address many key issues. 

We can't vote, usually get turned down for anything requiring a credit line, and aren't eligible for any number of benefits that will likely grow more necessary as we age (a lot of senior citizen benefits are not available to us regardless no matter how long we've paid taxes). Our ability to be fully included on the labor insurance pension plan was only recently instated, as well. 

However, there are a few things from my interview that didn't make it in, and I'd like to discuss them here.

It's been pointed out that the piece ignores the Southeast Asian community, and yes, it does. I brought up the issue of foreign blue-collar labor, not because I think I can speak for anyone, but because I was being interviewed. That segues into my first point.

Many people note the "double standard" of Taiwan's nationality laws: most countries either allow everyone or no one to have multiple nationalities. In fact, it's a quadruple standard.

People with the right ancestry can have multiple nationalities without issue. People with so-called "elite" jobs can get dual nationality. People like me can get permanent residency but not dual nationality. And treated worst of all, blue-collar foreign workers (who make up a large percentage of the Southeast Asian immigrant community) have no access to permanent residency, nor do labor and residency laws protect them adequately. 

This is both racist and classist on the part of the Taiwanese government. Although there are explanations for why the piece focused on APRC holders, it would have been good to include a section on the extra barriers that exist for most immigrants to Taiwan, with a related interview. 

My second point is related: it creates a system where your human worth is tied entirely to your job. But, as Preston points out in the article, being a good citizen is about more than what job you do, and it's a bit of a straitjacket to insist that "worthy" people must hold a narrow range of positions: 

“They’re using it as a rewards system....It’s basically a very exclusive club, but there’s more to good citizens than just being an elite member of society."

It stifles the sorts of contributions that may be good for Taiwan, but don't come with a specific title attached. 

It's also a reminder to those of us who have APRCs that consistently advocating for and supporting immigrant communities with less privilege is important. 

The truth is, even if I get a PhD someday, I don't particularly want to be a professor -- the job I would need to qualify. I think my personal contribution is more impactful as a teacher trainer, because I work with local teachers, who can then do what they think is best with their professional development in their context. 

The usual comeback to this is that "the government chose to incentivize the sort of people it wants to immigrate". Okay, but that's still a "you are only worth your job title" attitude, and in any case, the government has also been saying that it wants qualified teachers and teacher trainers for it's EMI/CLIL-based initiative to improve English language proficiency. In other words, I am exactly the sort of person they say they want. Beyond that, while the government may not say they want blue-collar labor, such labor is vital to Taiwan and they know it.

Another rejoinder I often hear is that Taiwan is a "monoculture", it's not a place where anyone from anywhere could potentially come to call themselves Taiwanese. I will leave aside the "being Taiwanese" aspect, because even if I get dual nationality someday, I don't intend to call myself that. I do think the term still has cultural connotations that just don't apply to me. 

There are two things wrong with the "monoculture" argument. First, the original citizenship law was written in China in the 1920s. It was never intended to apply to just Taiwan, and certainly wasn't tailored to or even appropriate for any concept of Taiwan as a nation. Now, the vast majority of Taiwanese either identify solely as Taiwanese, or prioritize Taiwanese identity. There is a distinct sense of a unique Taiwanese culture, heritage and history, separate from China. As Kerim noted: 

As a researcher of Taiwanese indigenous culture and languages, Friedman said there was also an ideological reason for allowing more foreigners to hold dual citizenship. “I would very much like to see Taiwan move away from the ethno-nationalistic view that citizenship in Taiwan is associated with being Chinese… I would like to see more diverse kinds of Taiwanese people.”

“I think Taiwan’s future as an independent country also depends on de-linking Taiwanese identity from ‘Chinese-ness’… So as a personal act, becoming a Taiwanese citizen myself is a step in that direction,” he said.

If descendants of the Chinese diaspora who have never even visited Taiwan, whose ancestors may have never visited either (or only stopped here briefly after leaving China in the 1940s) are eligible for "ROC" nationality -- something I don't begrudge, by the way -- then it's not about that distinct Taiwanese culture. It's about race, and specifically being 'from China'. But Taiwan doesn't identify as part of China! 

So, is being Taiwanese something separate from being Chinese, or not? If not, then why is the ancestral requirement paramount? If so, how does that square with what polls say about Taiwanese identity? 

Creating a pathway to nationality for who have built a life in Taiwan despite their ancestry can create a foundation for a nation that exists as a civic partnership rather than an ethno-state and cement a national identity distinct from China. It helps Taiwan move away from difficult, tired and frankly outdated arguments -- ethnic nationalism is so twentieth century! (Even with places like Tibet and East Turkestan, I don't think they deserve independence because they are not Han Chinese. I think they deserve it because the Chinese government treats them like crap.) 

In short, a pathway not based on bloodline contributes to a national ethos that makes sense and is consistent with the sort of country Taiwan says it wants to be. Some may fear an erosion of national identity, but out of over half a million foreign residents, only a fraction intend to stay permanently, and it's likely not all of those would go for dual nationality. In other words, those who want this pathway are already here, and for any newcomers the process would likely take around a decade: the number I hear mentioned most often is 5 years post-APRC, which itself takes at least five years. It wouldn't likely create a flood of newcomers, and I don't think Taiwanese identity is so weak that people who've stayed a decade could possibly threaten it. 

The second problem with the 'monoculture' argument is that historically it just isn't true. Taiwan has always been an international crossroads, and has seen waves of settlers, colonizers and immigrants, who generally weren't welcome at first (and some of whom did great damage -- and yes, I'm looking at powerful members of the KMT diaspora). Everyone with ancestral ties to China -- that is, most of the population -- is descended from settlers. More recently, intercultural families, often with a mother from Southeast Asia, are common in Taiwan. I've been too busy with work to find good data on this, but here's a 2010 article that put the number at one in ten Taiwanese children with a foreign parent, down from one in seven in the early 2000s. 

What happens to the children and grandchildren of these waves of immigrants? Honestly...they come to identify as Taiwanese. They adapt to local culture, and local culture adapts to them. 

I don't ever expect to be considered 'the same' as a local, and I doubt I could fully assimilate if I wanted to. I can't deny that my race and the privilege that comes with it as well as the culture I was born into create differences that I doubt can be fully bridged. However, this is my home. Period. 

There's one final point worth making: the 'social consensus' argument. As non-voters, we can't force the government to do anything, nor can we force the public to agree with this vision of Taiwan that includes us. 

But do we have to? Most Taiwanese who ask me if I have citizenship are shocked to learn it's not available to me without an unconscionable sacrifice (the ability to return to care for aging family in the US should I need to). I doubt most are even aware that the quadruple standard exists. How can society be against something it doesn't even realize is an issue?

I do worry that one of the issues is a willingness to consider people like me for dual nationality, but not the people who are hurt the most by the quadruple standard -- the Southeast Asian foreign worker community. That will have to be addressed in the coming years.

The government could do something about all of this. They could end these pointless calculations of 'worthiness' based on one's job. All I can say is that I hope, in my lifetime, that they do. 

Hot New Tips For Talking About China With "Nuance"!

Hey, China Hands. Feelin’ down? Like it’s really hard to defend a regime that is accused of genocide, cultural oppression and warmongering? Are you finding it difficult to reconcile your “Believe Women” stance with your ardent desire not to believe women who say they were repeatedly raped while detained in CCP-run concentration camps? Would you do anything to get your “everyone who doesn’t love the CCP is racist” mojo back?

Never fear — you can always call for “nuanced debate” on issues such as threatening invasion and straight-up massacre, and accuse those who wrongly criticize the CCP of “lacking nuance”. 

“But there are so many critics these days,” you might say. “How do you actually insist all of them debate with ‘nuance’? Surely someone will figure out that I am literally defending genocide!” 

Well, you’re in luck! At Lao Ren Cha, we’re here to help. We’ve done the research, asked the experts and compiled some of our hottest tips for accusing everyone who disagrees with your pro-CCP stance of “lacking nuance”.

Before we get started, let’s review the Golden Rule of Nuance: the person who calls for it can never lack nuance themselves. Afraid that someone will say your thinking is about as deep as a sheet of paper? That your “China isn’t so bad, it’s all the other countries that are terrible, in every way” argument is clunky and boorish? Don’t worry — just play the Nuance card early, so nobody can say it about you! 

Here are some more Hot Tips how you can keep an online fight going far longer than it ever needs to, sowing annoyance and division in your wake: 

1.) Spout "facts" and be really hostile when people check them, but require incontrovertible verification for every piece of evidence you don't like. Ensure that no verification is sufficient to convince you, including video evidence. All "facts" that don't meet your impossible standards of proof simply do not exist!

2.) "Whataboutism" is your best friend! Utilize this argument early and often. Try to make it plausible, for example, pointing out real flaws in Western countries such as the US prison system or Australian detention centers on Nauru. TIP! China can criticize these things about other countries without acknowledging the genocide it’s perpetrating, but other countries cannot criticize China. 

3.) Call everyone who disagrees with you a neoliberal or a capitalist -- or both. In fact, go with both. It helps if you claim that standing for Taiwan means supporting “the Nationalists”. It doesn’t matter if they do or not. 

4.) "Boomer", "White feminist" and "Karen" are useful terms to describe certain behaviors of privileged White people. Nevermind that though, be sure to call everyone who disagrees with you one of these, whether or not they are applicable. "White Left" is also a good choice. A lot of people actually are racists so that works too, and pairs well with disingenuously conflating criticism of the CCP with criticism of every Chinese person.

5.) Cite your experience in "the real China". Bonus points if that experience was exclusively in Beijing or Shanghai.

6.) Talk about imperialism and colonialism a lot, and sound really good doing it. Only apply your fairly strong anti-imperialist/decolonization arguments to the West, as no government that's not Western is capable of either of these or any of their evils.

7.) Use your most heartfelt voice to claim that the only way to stop genocide and systemic rape is through "engagement", if we just "engage" then the CCP will stop all the genociding and rape. Anyone who disagrees with that is, again, a racist.

8.) If you can't work in Confucius or "5,000 years" of something, at least make sure to say that China "lifted millions out of poverty". Do not mention who put them into poverty.

9.) Use metaphors that don't quite work. A good choice is comparing Taiwan to Hawaii. Neither the actual status of Taiwan compared to Hawaii nor how others in the debate feel about Hawaiian independence matter. It should always be assumed that Taiwan is not currently independent.

10.) Racism directed at Asians in Western countries is a real problem, and should be both noted and opposed wherever it occurs. Don’t worry about whether it’s relevant to the discussion at hand though — be sure to use this as a rejoinder to every criticism of China whether it's applicable or not.

11.) The Culture Argument: if the discussion is about whether Tibet and East Turkestan should be part of China, point out that China is a multicultural and diverse society. If the discussion is about Taiwan or Hong Kong, point out that they are the "same culture", "same civilization" or "same blood" as Chinese (even though arguably none of these are true, it doesn't matter) and therefore should be a part of China. These two views are completely reconcilable if you push them forcefully enough!  

Warning! Don't overuse this argument or They might come to the conclusion that none of these are a good argument for why a nation should exist in a particular way, and start to consider civic partnership as an alternative. You do not want this! Try instead to direct them to arguments about "culture", "history", "civilization" and best of all, "genetics", despite the fact that you both know they're irrelevant. 

12.) Appeal To Authority! Here’s an example of how that works: The Lancet publishes papers that conflate Taiwanese and Chinese medical data and refuses to retract it, so haughtily claim that they’re The Lancet so how could they possibly be wrong?

13.) The Catch-22: if Taiwan doesn’t want to be a part of China, why do they still call themselves “the Republic of China”? If they want to be independent, they need to change that. If they change the name of their country and China reacts angrily, be sure to criticize them as “troublemakers” who are “provoking China”. 

Important Note! What Taiwanese actually think doesn’t matter. This also applies to Tibetans, Uyghurs and Hong Kongers. 

14.) Use simple mnemonic devices to recall key arguments in a flash. For example, if you’re in the heat of battle, just remember the TAP rule: Taiwan Always Provokes. Nothing China does is ever provocation, they’re just angry because Taiwan doesn’t accept that China claims their country. Taiwan should just calm down about it. But if Taiwan tries to bolster its defensive capabilities, that’s PROVOCATION and it’s WRONG because it might anger China. 

Advanced Level Nuance

Are you an expert nuance-haver? Leave the rookie arguments to the rookies and show off your top-tier skills with these Advanced Tips! These are especially effective and confusing because you can make it sound like you're actually an ally. Wowza! A few people might see through your concern trolling, but don't worry -- most won't. 

15.) Claim to oppose the CCP but ensure that all of your individual statements actually kind of support them. A good choice here is saying that you’d prefer Taiwan not be annexed by China or that the genocide in East Turkestan should stop, but that there is nothing any Western country can or should do about it at any level (from sanctions to refusing to negotiate to providing defensive assistance) because they are “evil”. Do not offer any other viable solutions. 

Bonus Points if you then complain that other countries don’t do enough to support these causes.

16.) Write about it! Be sure to use classic “negs” like calling Taiwan a “self-ruled island” (it is acceptable to call it “a vibrant democracy” so people will think you are even-handed, but do not use any other complimentary descriptors). Quote Chinese state media without context or criticism, get quotes from the same six analysts — I mean they’re basically the same six quotes over and over anyway — and try not to include any contrary voices. If you absolutely must include a Taiwanese voice, ensure that the person is not an activist or lawmaker who supports de jure independence. After all, the KMT has plenty of people who will give you a pro-China quote! Who cares if they’re not in power and their platforms don’t reflect public opinion?

17.) Use hypotheticals when the real-world data doesn’t support you. Do the majority of Taiwanese identify as solely Taiwanese? Do the vast majority prioritize Taiwanese identity? Is there essentially no support for unification? Ignore it all and say things like ‘tyranny of the majority’ or “but if 52% of people want independence and 48% don’t, should you break up a country over that?” Be sure to ignore the fact that Taiwan is already sovereign. 

18.) Remember, dismissing everything as “Western propaganda” is a rookie mistake, and you do Advanced Nuance! If you are pushed into a corner where you cannot say you don’t believe women in China who claim to be raped, but believing them means criticizing the CCP, say something like “it’s complicated”. Anyone who says it’s actually quite simple just doesn’t understand Advanced Nuance. 

Don’t Forget! Refuse to acknowledge that your equivocating response to women in China who recount systemic sexual abuse when you quite reasonably advocate believing women everywhere else is in any way hypocritical or racist. 

19.) Destroy from within! There are lots of ways to do this, providing plenty of opportunities for customization. Here’s an old classic: a lot of right-wingers claim to support Hong Kong, Taiwan and East Turkestan — hypocritically, but this isn’t about them. Be sure to call anyone who also supports these things right-wingers regardless of their actual politics. 

20.) Is the despised outgoing administration doing a few things that are actually good for Taiwan, Hong Kong and East Turkestan? Are you worried the incoming administration won’t be strong on those same issues? Be sure to say that the outgoing folk are “sabotaging” or “complicating” the incoming ones, even when the new administration makes no indication that that’s the case. 

Bonus Nuance Tip! 

Remember, only other people engage in colorism, never you. If a person of Chinese heritage defends genocide or invading other countries, that person is always right and should always be taken seriously. If a non-Chinese person argues back that genocide is wrong, tell them that they have no right to an opinion on genocide being wrong. 

Happy Nuancing!