Democratic Taiwan, an orphan in Asia
During the Chinese-Japanese War, China (i.e. Ching Dynasty) kept on loosing its ground. Ching Emperor sent Li Hong-Chang as his ambassador to Japan to negotiate, while in the meantime, the rumor had already spread out that Japan wanted to have Taiwan. In mid-March of the same year, the two sides had come to an agreement to cease fire, excluding in Taiwan. When the news was spread to Taiwan, Taiwanese people panicked, and they beseeched the government to aid Taiwan and not to cede this beautiful island to Japan. Under the enormous pressure from Japan on the one hand, and the ignorant Ching government that reckoned Taiwan is just a small island far detached from the mainland on the other, Li signed The Marguan Treaty. The Governor of the time, Tan Gin-Song, suggested to bring in western powers in the hope of turning this matter into an international affair. After Japan seized Taiwan, Ching soldiers were fearful that their superiors would flee back to the mainland without taking them along, so they held the Governor and declared Taiwan's independence, established The Democratic Taiwan. Tan became the puppet president, the first President of The Democratic Taiwan. Britain, France, Germany, The united Stated of America and other strong powers were informed that, if they want to trade in the island, treaties must be signed by both sides again.
In fear of Japan's troops and
power, western countries pretended they did not see what went on in Taiwan;
Taiwan became an orphan on the world stage. With its strong military forced,
Japan landed at Oudi; both sides were engaged in fierce fighting at Keelung.
The defeated Taiwanese army poured into Taipei, when the new President took
a German battleship and left for mainland. Taiwan was in the state of anarchy;
the defeated soldiers were robbing everywhere as the Japanese soldiers maintained
their disciplines. In the end, the gentry and the merchant class in Taipei
as well as the westerners, implored the Japanese to station their troops in
the city.
Taiwan Tati Cultural & Educational Foundation
