[derefr]

I think you mean “English-language Wikipedia”. Try switching to one of the other languages and then putting the article through Google Translate. They’re not the same article semantically! Each language has its own set of editors putting its own spin on things. It’s only to be expected that each language’s editorial policy will be dominated by the cultural hegemony of that language’s speakers, if one exists.

(For example, even without government interference, you would expect “Taiwan” to have different first-sentence descriptions in the Chinese–Simplified, Chinese–Traditional, and English Wikipedias.)

[amyjess]

> For example, even without government interference, you would expect “Taiwan” to have different first-sentence descriptions in the Chinese–Simplified, Chinese–Traditional, and English Wikipedias.)

I agree with your sentiment, but that's not the best example. There is one Chinese Wikipedia, and articles are machine-transliterated between simplified and traditional forms (plus a few more forms using region-specific vocabulary).

[yorwba]

Well, besides Mandarin there are also articles about Taiwan in Cantonese, Eastern Min, Gan, Hakka, Literary Chinese, Southern Min, and Wu. They all seem to be able to agree that it's an island in the Pacific, but differ in the degree to which they mention that the Republic of China controls it. The Hakka article prominently displays the national flag, while the Southern Min one doesn't mention it in the introductory paragraph.