Taiwan separatists promote false sense of identity

STUDENT ACTIVISTS IN TAIWAN continue to campaign against a proposed adjustment to the high school curriculum guidelines. The adjustment, which was floated last January, is intended to correct some misreadings of Taiwan's history. However, it has led to open protests by the opposition Democratic Progressive Party, some extreme organizations and high school students. Comments:

Believers in a "Taiwanese self-identity" still reckon that traditional Chinese culture has to be eradicated to strengthen their own beliefs. Such a fragile sense of identify seems to echo the "total Westernization" mentality of Taiwan's modern history, and lacks depth in terms of promoting local culture and traditional values. What Taiwan should do is try to reach a consensus on its identity in open discussions, which will lay the foundation for democracy and the rule of law.

China Times newspaper in Taiwan, Aug 3