by Assunta Ng
Northwest Asia Weekly
Ukrainian families prepare to say goodbye as they prepare to board a bus bound for Poland at the Lviv bus terminal in western Ukraine, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Russia shelled civilian targets in Ukraine’s second-largest city on Tuesday as well as 40 miles of tanks and other vehicles threatened the capital — a tactic Ukraine’s embattled president said was aimed at forcing him in Europe’s biggest ground war in generations make concessions. (AP Photo/Bernart Amanger)
The Year of the Rat brings the 2020 pandemic. The Year of the Tiger ushered in war and an ongoing pandemic. Russia invaded Ukraine without provocation more than a week ago. On the face of it, the Asian American community seems to have nothing to do with the war. on the contrary…
The U.S. and Europe have been sanctioning Russia to get Vladimir Putin to stop the war. Both China and Taiwan are closely watching the war. Many Asian-American traditions are rooted in both regions.
China’s response to the world and the U.S. is interested in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as Russia’s actions could have implications for China if Russia plans to reclaim Taiwan as part of its state, or if it could launch an attack.
But that’s not all. China and Taiwan have a situation similar to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Russia and Ukraine have a close blood relationship in history. Both are of Slavic origin. Before independence in 1991, Ukraine was part of the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union. Citizens of both countries have many intermarriages and connections with immediate family members as well as distant relatives living in both countries. You often find a husband from Russia and a wife from Ukraine and vice versa. A war between these two countries would create unnecessary tragedy, conflict and instability for these extended families.
Chiang Kai-shek, who fled to Taiwan in 1949 after his army was defeated by communist China, brought thousands of mainlanders to Taiwan. There are also many marriages between Taiwanese and mainlanders.
Today, mainland China and Taiwan share a culture and language. Commerce and trade between the two has been strong.
While Taiwan insists it has developed distinct identities, the two are inseparably linked. In the event of a war, there may be similar reactions among soldiers. A CNN report said a Russian soldier had a hard time fighting the Ukrainians because he was confused and didn’t know why he was fighting someone who looked like him.
The biggest difference between mainland China and Taiwan is their form of government. Like authoritarian Russia, China is under communist rule, and both Taiwan and Ukraine are freely elected democracies.
The secret war is over
China may have learned a lesson from the Ukraine war, you can’t hide anything, at least not forever. Social media spreads news like wildfire. Russia did not expect the world to see its attack on Ukraine. Putin has repeatedly denied that Russia is an aggressor. However, Russian aggression is on full display on Google and other social media channels. According to New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, Russian tanks were accidentally exposed on the first day of the attack on Google Maps “because Google wanted to alert drivers that Russian armored vehicles were causing traffic jams.”
War replaces talent training
Ironically, Google co-founder Sergey Brin is a Russian who immigrated to the United States when he was 6 years old. MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell interviews Friedman, saying the lack of opportunities in Russia could lead to Brin’s family immigrating to the U.S.
the world condemns
China may be surprised that the world is on Ukraine’s side. If China wanted to suddenly invade Taiwan, it could face a similar reaction. Journalists from all over the world, including the United States and Europe, risked their lives to cover the war in different parts of Ukraine. I have never seen so much coverage before. Global opinion disapproves of Russia because it is attacking a much smaller country. With a population of 44 million, Ukraine is one-third the size of Russia.
Even if Russia wins, journalists continue to focus on the bravery, tenacity and resistance of the Ukrainians. Stories about Russian soldiers are rarely reported in the West unless they are dead.
cost of war
Putin has miscalculated in this war. There is a growing list of sanctions imposed on Russia – flights, banks, even sports. The IOC and the World Cup have stripped Russia of the right to host or participate in sporting events. The Russian flag and national anthem will also be excluded from these events.
Destruction of live streaming on the web is hard to see. It could have implications for China – addressing grievances by means other than war.
Putin, however, thinks the exact opposite. The number of wars Russia has been involved in under Putin’s watch is endless – including the republic of Chechnya, the annexation of Crimea, Afghanistan, Syria and other minor wars. He believed that war could unify his country and expand his territory, making him a hero. Incorrect. Look at the number of protests against the war in Russia. Even if Russia wins, some legal experts are charging Putin with war crimes.
At the same time, Ukraine has won praise and admiration around the world, especially by President Voladimir Zelensky. Before the war, not many people cared about Ukraine and didn’t know who the president was. Now everyone says, “He’s a hero.” Not the first Afghan president to leave when the Taliban liberated Afghanistan last year. When the U.S. offered to help him evacuate the country, Zelensky said: “I need ammunition, not a free ride.”
Asia has no NATO
Taiwan is not Ukraine. Most of Ukraine’s neighbors are on its side. Asia does not have NATO lobbying on Taiwan’s side. There is no similar organization in Taiwan to rely on. Many Asian countries, such as Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos, have benefited from China’s road, bridge construction and other types of economic investments. China’s strategy is to isolate Taiwan.
Taiwan’s biggest ally is the United States, and many Asian countries are unlikely to be willing to side with Taiwan if it goes to war with China.
social stability
China attaches great importance to social stability. They believe that stability is essential to a country’s prosperity. Although the friction between China and Taiwan has existed since 1950, there has been no war. This is because both sides have shown restraint over the years to avoid war.
The two rivals have been working hard to build their infrastructure, build their economies and improve their education systems in order to compete on the world stage. Both have greatly improved living standards and reduced the poverty of the people. China’s progress and numerous achievements in transportation systems such as high-speed rail are likely to be recognized as a world power and economy in the future, surpassing the US’s No. 1 status. The outside world is also full of admiration for Taiwan’s development strength. More advanced technology than the US in chip manufacturing, good citizenship and governance.
The “face” problem
Both China and Taiwan should watch how Putin emerges from this war. Putin’s assumption was that his large and powerful army would quickly and easily contain Ukraine, and that its leader, Zenlensky, would immediately kowtow to him.
Instead, none of this happened. The war took much longer than expected, and Putin did not win. Nearly 500 Russian soldiers were killed and 1,600 wounded, the Associated Press reported on March 2. To protect his ego and strongman image, Putin cannot just quit and risk being seen as a loser, even if that would be the right thing to do. So he doubled the number of tanks entering the capital and even ordered a nuclear siren to instill more fear. It doesn’t matter, all parties can see that if the war continues, it will cause more pain to the Russians and Ukrainians.
I’m afraid it’s a deadlock now. The lesson for everyone is, don’t start a war, because ending a war is just as important and difficult for face-saving provocateurs.
Going to war hurts not only both parties, but the entire world. Everyone loses.
Assunta can reach assunta@nwasianweekly.com.
