[EpochTimesAugust192021]As the U.S. forces withdrew from Afghanistan and the Taliban returned to Kabul, the CCP ridiculed and attacked the United States on the one hand, and launched a propaganda war and a military deterrent war against Taiwan on the other.
On August 16, US Secretary of State Blincoln and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi talked on the phone to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. Wang Yi took the opportunity to teach the United States a lesson and asked the United States to “seriously reflect” on its failure.
Recently, the CCP’s “Global Times” successively published “Afghanistan Today, Taiwan Tomorrow?” A series of articles such as “U.S. Betrayal Fears the Democratic Progressive Party” launched a heart attack against Taiwan. The English “Global Times” is even more blunt: once a Taiwan Strait war breaks out, Taiwan’s defense will collapse within a few hours, and the United States needs more courage than to intervene in Afghanistan, Syria, and Vietnam. The result: the DPP will surrender soon.
On August 17, the CCP military issued a statement stating that it would use warships, anti-submarine aircraft, and fighter planes to organize joint fire assaults and other real-force drills in the surrounding sea and airspace of southwest and southeast Taiwan.
Faced with the changes in the situation in Afghanistan, the CCP is quite complacent. However, objectively speaking, Taiwan is not Afghanistan. The CCP’s propaganda war against the United States and Taiwan and its military deterrence war against Taiwan may eventually backfire.
Why is Taiwan not Afghanistan?
First, Taiwan has the spirit of self-reliance.
On August 18, President Tsai Ing-wen of the Republic of China posted on Facebook: Taiwan’s only option is to make itself stronger, more united, and more determined to protect itself.
Tsai Ing-wen said: “It is not our option to do nothing but to rely on the protection of others.” “It is not our option to rely on the temporary goodwill or charity of people who have no value as a basis and who do not give up the use of force in Taiwan.”
Since 1949, Taiwan has experienced three major crises: the first was Chiang Kai-shek’s defeat of Taiwan from the mainland in 1949; the second was the severance of diplomatic relations between the United States and Taiwan in 1979; the third was the forced transformation of Hong Kong’s “one country, two systems” by the CCP in 2020 After being “one-party dictatorship”, “extreme pressure” on Taiwan.
The most important reason for Taiwan’s standing firm so far is: self-reliance and self-reliance, and heaven helps those who help themselves.
Second, Taiwan is a beacon of democracy and freedom for the Chinese in the world.
Taiwan used to be an authoritarian system. However, in his later years, Chiang Ching-kuo changed from an authoritarian system to a democratic system, lifted martial law, opened party bans and newspaper bans, opened up veterans to visit relatives on the mainland, and promoted the democratization of Taiwan and the successful establishment of a constitutional system in Taiwan.
By 2020, Taiwan has achieved the third party rotation and the seventh presidential election since the direct presidential election. In 1996, Taiwan held the first direct presidential election in the history of the Republic of China. This is the first time in Taiwan’s history that the people of Taiwan can directly vote for the president. To this day, Taiwan has formed a democratic, peaceful, and orderly regime change.
The legitimate voters among the 23 million people in Taiwan can earnestly use the votes in their hands to elect their favorite leaders according to their true wishes. This is a real election, not a fake election. For Taiwanese candidates, every vote must be won on their own. It is really not easy to obtain the legal authorization of the people of Taiwan to be a leader of Taiwan. It is a thousand times more difficult than the CCP’s appointment by superiors and relations.
The 23 million people in Taiwan have long enjoyed “freedom of belief, freedom of speech, freedom from fear, and freedom from want.” The creativity and vitality contained in these “Four Freedoms” are huge and lasting.
Third, Taiwan’s economic and technological strength ranks among the world’s leaders.
Today’s world, including the “Communist Party of China”, is in a “chip crisis”.
Chips are like new oil, indispensable to a digital economy and society, and become a strategic material that the world‘s major powers and powerful countries want to control when competing with each other.
Taiwan’s chip manufacturing leads the world.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, referred to as TSMC, has developed into a leading company in the global chip industry after just 34 years, creating a “TSMC miracle” that Taiwanese people are proud of. It is known as Taiwan’s “protection of the country”. Sacred mountain”.
Taiwanese chip companies, represented by TSMC, have become the strategic focus of the global industry. According to data from the beginning of 2021, TSMC’s market value reached 550.9 billion U.S. dollars, ranking among the world’s top ten companies, surpassing Intel and South Korea’s Samsung to become the world’s most valuable semiconductor company.
Today, TSMC’s products have penetrated into all aspects of people’s daily lives around the world. Even the latest weapons and cutting-edge fighters in the United States will use TSMC’s chips. The United States, Japan, Germany and others are scrambling to find TSMC for cooperation.
In 2020, the great plague spread from Wuhan to the whole world, severely hitting the world economy. Taiwan has become a world model in terms of epidemic prevention and control, and its economy is thriving, ranking first among the “Four Little Dragons” in Asia.
On August 18, Vice President Lai Qingde of the Republic of China delivered a speech at the “2021 Taiwan Great Future International Summit”, stating that in the first half of this year, Taiwan’s economic growth is estimated to be 8.19%.
Taiwan’s leaders are working hard to build Taiwan into the four centers of “high-end manufacturing, high-tech R&D, advanced semiconductor manufacturing process, and green energy development” to increase Taiwan’s influence in the key position of the global industrial chain.
Taiwan’s talent advantages, innovation drive, free market, and conformity with international rules make Taiwan very attractive to countries around the world. Taiwan’s economic potential is huge, and its future development is limitless.
Fourth, Taiwan is based on traditional values and universal values.
In 1966, when Mao Zedong launched the “Cultural Revolution” on the mainland that destroyed five thousand years of Chinese traditional culture, Chiang Kai-shek launched the “Chinese Cultural Renaissance Movement” in Taiwan.
Chiang Kai-shek is the chairman of the Promotion Committee of the Chinese Cultural Renaissance Movement. The basic idea of reviving Chinese culture is to “observe the classics, know the commonplace, innovate and adapt.” , Righteousness, harmony, peace and other traditional values.
The core of traditional culture is to believe in God and worship God. In the process of reviving traditional culture, Taiwan’s leaders paid special attention to protecting the freedom of religious belief of the Taiwanese people.
On an area of 36,000 square kilometers in Taiwan, there are more than 33,000 places for worshippers and gatherings. On average, there is one temple or church for every square kilometer. Taiwan is the region with the highest density of religious buildings in the Chinese world, and it is also the region with the most prosperous Chinese world religions.
The Republic of China in Taiwan is the continuation of the orthodox Chinese history. The Chinese Cultural Renaissance Movement connected Taiwan and China’s five thousand years of spiritual culture. At the same time, Taiwan implements a capitalist system, and universal values such as democracy, freedom, the rule of law, and human rights are deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.
Believe in traditional values and universal values, so that Taiwan and Tianli are in the same heart, and will surely receive more help.
Fifth, the United States regards Taiwan as Israel.
On August 17, in response to the so-called “Afghanistan today, Taiwan tomorrow”, US National Security Adviser Sullivan said at a White House press conference: The US government “believes that its commitment to Taiwan and Israel is as solid as ever.”
The restoration of Israel was predicted in the Bible. On May 14, 1948, the Jews who wandered around the world for nearly 2,000 years returned to their homeland and restored the state of Israel, surrounded by enemies. On the second day of Israel’s restoration, on May 15, neighboring Arab countries launched the first Middle East war in an attempt to destroy Israel. The result: Israel wins.
After that, Israel has been in hostilities from Arab countries for a long time, and gunfire has been engulfing Israel. However, Israel, a small country with extremely harsh natural and security environments, has not only survived tenaciously, but has also become the only developed country in the Middle East, which can be called a “jedi rebirth” country.
Israel can have today, first rely on self-reliance; second, rely on the strong support of the United States. Today, the United States compares Taiwan with Israel, which shows how much the United States values Taiwan.
The four major advantages of Taiwan mentioned above are the four major reasons why the United States values Taiwan. In addition, Taiwan is at the center of the first island chain in the Pacific that the United States defends against threats from the CCP. It is also a key link in the United States’ Indo-Pacific strategy and is of great strategic significance to the United States’ national security.
As early as during the Korean War in 1950, the United States sent the Seventh Fleet to assist in the defense of Taiwan. The two sides have cooperated in military security for 71 years. The United States has military cooperation allies such as Japan and South Korea around Taiwan, and they all face threats from the CCP. Any changes in the United States‘ commitment to Taiwan will affect the relationship between the United States and these allies.
An important purpose of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan is to free up its hands and concentrate its efforts against the CCP, so as to better protect the safety of the U.S. itself and its Indo-Pacific allies.
Since Trump assumed the presidency of the United States in 2017, U.S.-Taiwan relations have improved in an all-round way, reaching the best level in more than 40 years. After Biden took office as US president in 2021, US-Taiwan relations have further improved in an all-round way.
Since April this year, Biden has repeatedly emphasized the “importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait” during talks with the Japanese prime minister, the South Korean president, the Australian prime minister, the heads of the Group of 7 nations, and the heads of the European Union.
Taiwan is a good force in the world, an important member of the international democratic family, a key innovator in the global economy, and a trusted trading partner of all countries in the world. It has made outstanding contributions to the development of art and science shared by all mankind. .
If the CCP invades Taiwan by force, the free world headed by the United States will stand on Taiwan’s side.
Sixth, Afghanistan is one of the least developed countries in the world.
Afghanistan is a poor landlocked country. It used to be the hiding place of the terrorist bin Laden’s al-Qaida organization, and it is also the world’s largest producer of drugs. In 2020, Afghan President Ghani said that 90% of the Afghan population will live on less than US$2 a day. The United States spent 20 years and spent 2.26 trillion U.S. dollars, and failed to help Afghanistan.
Although the Taliban is back in power, the Taliban today has not changed significantly from the Taliban 20 years ago. The Taliban have many problems. Nothing else, just give one example to destroy the Buddhist movement.
This campaign began on February 26, 2001. On the same day, Taliban leader Omar issued a “destroying order”, demanding that all Buddha statues in Afghanistan be destroyed. By March 12, the world-famous priceless treasure, the Bamiyan Buddha, was finally blown up by the Taliban.
The Bamiyan Buddha is the world’s largest vertical sculpture of Buddha. There are east and west. The East Buddha is 38 meters high and wears a blue robes; the West Buddha is 55 meters high and wears a red robes. It has been more than 1,300 years ago. History, listed as “World Cultural Heritage” by UNESCO.
However, the Taliban government at that time ignored the opposition of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the opposition of UNESCO, the opposition of many member states of the Islamic Conference, the opposition of the European Union, and the opposition of some Buddhist countries… All countries in the world that cherish world cultural heritage, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, celebrities, and low-level people oppose it and insist that the Buddha must be destroyed.
Taliban leader Omar said: “Our action is to ensure that no one in Afghanistan believes in another religion.”
Concluding remarks
Recently, the Taliban, which has returned to power, have publicly made some verbal promises, such as working for the peaceful transition of the regime, respecting women’s rights, respecting the religious beliefs of the people, and not retaliating against anyone. However, it remains to be seen whether these promises can be fulfilled.
On August 18, when people held a rally in support of the Afghan flag in Nangarhar Province, they were shot by the Taliban. At least 3 people were killed and 12 others were injured. Some commentators believe that the Taliban say one thing and do another thing.
No matter in terms of economy, politics, science and technology, culture, or in terms of strategic position and international influence, Afghanistan is incomparable with Taiwan.
The CCP is blind to the most basic facts because of its hatred of the United States. It blindly compares Afghanistan with Taiwan, and conducts psychological warfare and military threats against Taiwan. It is unpopular. The end result can only be: self-deception and evil consequences.
The Epoch Times
Editor in charge: Gao Yi#
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