Fly Upwind Over the Ocean
This is a birthday gift dedicated to the Republic of China. The “World Journal” in New York published my article with this title serially 15 years ago. Today, I still have more to say under the same theme. The article began with: “I have always wanted to write something to pay tribute to Taiwan’s democratic system and to send blessings to my compatriots over there. Unfortunately, this pen is very heavy for me.” At that time, the pressure on the Republic of China was increasing because of the conspiracy of the CCP and the appeasement of the West. My appeal in the article was gone with the wind, like my constant warnings about the CCP’s threats in the past 3 decades.
The situation has changed when time goes by. Faced with the CCP’s attack on human civilization, as Secretary Pompeo said: ” Today the awakening is happening. Today the free world must respond. We can never go back to the past.” The awakening of the United States has eased some pressure on the Republic of China. However, under the current complicated international situation, the Republic of China still cannot relax. She must overcome new challenges using political wisdom. Therefore, this pen is still very heavy to me.
The Republic of China is a product of the progress of human civilization. Chinese civilization was originally a special “nation” formed by the fusion of many races. After thousands of years of turbulence, she did not fade away like other ancient civilizations. This is a highly stable, special cultural phenomenon. Starting from the beginning of the last century, many Chinese intellectuals appreciated the modern achievements of Western civilization and introduced them cordially to their compatriots. They applied a political wisdom during a turbulence to promote the peaceful demise of the Qing Dynasty. The Republic of China was thus born 109 years ago and created an early stage with freedom of thought and cultural prosperity. Later it was the CCP that undermined mainland China by transplanting Western communism.
The Republic of China and Taiwanese have suffered too many grievances in the past 70 years. The Republic of China led the Chinese in a long and bloody battle and eventually drove away the Japanese invaders. The Chinese people were grateful to the support of Western allies, especially the United States. Many moving scenes remained in my childhood memories. The Republic of China had been very loyal to her allies. However, the allies one by one abandoned her after the war. She was a victorious nation in the World War II but was treated with humiliation afterward. The Republic of China was one of the founding countries of the United Nations, but they have excluded her for fifty years. Thorough the thousands of years, ordinary Chinese have never dominated their own destiny. It was the Republic of China that established the only democracy in the global Chinese language world on Taiwan Island. She broke through the suppression and blockade of the CCP’s tyranny and has stood as a rare outstanding member to the global free world. But the world still treated her unfairly and let her endure too much pain.
The Republic of China has held out humiliation for a long time, but she has always been steadfast. She has completed a successful experiment developing capitalism with Chinese characteristics in Taiwan. This successful practice has made the Chinese nation’s long-term pursuit of freedom, equality, and human dignity become a reality. As far as cross-strait dialogue is concerned, this young democratic regime has already taken the lead and has gotten absolute moral and institutional advantages. In comparison, the predatory and bloody nature of the CCP’s socialism with Chinese characteristics is fully exposed. Nowadays, facing the CCP virus raging around the world, most countries have been heavily impacted. However, Taiwanese society has responded calmly and stood firmly, thus becomes a successful model. A group of capable democratic politicians has come to the fore, and the huge potential of democratic Taiwan is gradually being revealed. The Republic of China is not confined to an island and has become one of the pillars for the global free world. She has begun to get rid of the fate of being a pawn and has won the sincere respect of the international community.
Unfortunately, this pen is still very heavy for me. Besides the evil of the CCP, a countercurrent within the free world is also worrisome. 
Starting from fifty years ago, a few American politicians used the Republic of China and 23 million Chinese as a pawn. Their actions also humiliated the credibility of the great United States. Tracing its source, it was inseparable from the left-wing elitists in the West. In the past few hundreds of years, many Western scholars lacked knowledge of the East. A few of them talked about Chinese culture in an insulting way, even calling China a degenerate nation without history and philosophy. In the past 100 years, some China Hands at the top of the United States have long been in an erroneous zone about China. They were fooled by the CCP but still thought of themselves knowing everything. They are arrogant to the humble and decent Eastern people, but they are humble to the Eastern hooligans like the CCP. This group of left-wing elitists caused America to be beaten passively when facing the CCP’s attacks. The group was also very humble to the violent looters and rioters on the streets in America during the past months.
The entire human civilization is now facing an unprecedented crisis. This crisis is ubiquitous and deeply rooted in the cultural field. The Chinese culture, which has been corroded by the CCP for a long time, is dying on the mainland. Fortunately, God bless China, the Republic of China has preserved the roots of this great culture on Taiwan Island. In the current invisible war of willpower around values, this winter plum flower in the snow will be the first to usher in the fresh spring of human civilization.
Dear Republic of China, Happy Birthday to You!