[regularization]

> Taiwan is not simply an island claimed by Beijing

Yes, China claims Taiwan and China are the same country. Not mentioned is that US policy also says that Taiwan and China are the same country. In fact Taiwan policy is that China and Taiwan are the same country. You would think reading this that Taiwan had declared independence from China as a separate country.

Also on the topic of "simply an island" - Taiwan is not just the island of Taiwan, they are on Kinmen island in the harbor of Xiamen on the mainland PRC. This would be like Manhattan receiving imperial proclamations about its "sovereignty" from China.

The fact is Taiwan was Chinese long before the United States even existed, just like the Russian Navy has been in Crimea since before the US existed. The US funded and armed separatist forces - but in 1900 the US was raising its flag in Beijing's imperial city. The historical development is these imperial intrusions have been pushed back by China. Taiwan is important to China and the US is too occupied blockading Cuba, slaughtering Venezuelan and Iranian leadership, aiding the genocide of Gaza and the invasions of Syria and Lebanon etc., while its health secretary fights against vaccines.

[kirab]

> Taiwan policy is that China and Taiwan are the same country

This is as useful as saying both South Korea and North Korea have the policy that South Korea and North Korea are the same country. Which was actually true until a few years ago.

[yogthos]

And just like in the case of Taiwan, they would be the same country if not for US invasion and continued occupation of the south. That's not hyperbole by the way, the military in the south is literally under US command.

[bulbar]

It's still a misleading characterization of the situation.

[bit-anarchist]

It isn't misleading. It's plain wrong.

[yogthos]

Do explain which part is wrong. Are you not aware of the fact that the US controls the military in occupied Korea? https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/defense/20260511/def...

When a foreign power controls a military of another nation, that's literally what occupation is.

[bit-anarchist]

For starters, Taiwan wasn't invaded nor occupied by the US. South Korea wasn't invaded by the US either, unless you want to say the Soviet Union invaded the North. Even so, that would be, at least, an innacurate description of the events.

Furthermore, the technical definition for "military occupation", according to Hague Convention, S.3 Art.43:

  Territory is considered occupied when it is actually placed under the authority of the hostile army.
  The occupation extends only to the territory where such authority has been established and can be exercised.

US is not a hostile army nor has established authority over SK's government and/or territory. In fact, US only controls the SK's army during wartime, which is not the case currently. The link you cite says US and SK are meeting together to negotiate the transition of wartime OPCON to SK as well, and US seems willing, even with Trump in power.

[bit-anarchist]

I would add, however, the modern sentiment of the Taiwanese people is moving towards independence:

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2023/09/02/...

In fact, both the majority of the Taiwanese people and the current government are against unification.