The Chinese always like to harp on the idea that Western countries recognize that Taiwan is a part of China. They bring up all sorts of "evidence" to back this up, but in reality, these countries have been VERY careful in choosing their words in regards to China and its claim that Taiwan belongs to it.
In 1972, U.S. President Richard Nixon made a monumental visit to China. This visit has gone down in history, as it should, as it began the opening between China and the United States. One event of the visit is known as the Shanghai Communique. This is often used as evidence that the U.S. recognizes one China and Taiwan is a part of China. However, a closer look at this claim shows that it is a complete fraud.
"The U.S. side declared: The United States acknowledges that all Chinese on either side of the Taiwan Strait maintain there is but one China and that Taiwan is a part of China. The United States Government does not challenge that position." This is the statement the Chinese use to indicate U.S. acceptance that Taiwan is a part of China.
First, the Chinese say that the word "acknowledges" indicates acceptance of the Chinese position. This is not the case. What the United States is "acknowledging" here is that the Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan straits believe that Taiwan belongs to China. "Acknowledge" does not mean accept or recognize, but a realization that the others believe that this is the case, not an agreement with that view.
Second, who are the Chinese? In Taiwan, not everyone is Chinese. At the time that this communique was issued, the island of Taiwan was ruled by the Guomingdang which had retreated from China in 1949. About 15 percent of the population of Taiwan came from China at this time. This 15 percent minority is the Chinese that are referred to. If you ask most of the other 85 percent, they will identify themselves as Taiwanese, not Chinese (����H). Hence, when talking about the Chinese on both sides of the straits, they are not referring to the majority of Taiwan's population, who had no voice in 1972.
To be continued