TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s Indigenous tribes could be the key factor in gaining true independence, Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs Senior Fellow Dr. Alexander Gorlach said in a Politico opinion article.

Gorlach quoted Taipei University of Education associate professor of Indigenous studies Chuan-ju Cheng (鄭川如), saying, “The only possibility for Taiwan to truly achieve independence from China’s grasp is, in theory, only to first allow the Indigenous tribes of Taiwan to establish an independent nation named ‘Formosa'."

After “Formosa” was formed, “the Han people of Taiwan could join the new state,” Cheng said.

Xi Jinping (習近平) has become an enemy of Taiwan’s Indigenous people with his threats of invasion, Gorlach said. They never considered themselves to be a part of China as their ancestors lived on the island for six millennia, and they believe it is up to them to decide Taiwan's future, he said. 

Represented by the Taipei government, the Han could then “leverage this union with the First Nations of Taiwan by highlighting their long-standing Indigenous heritage,” Gorlach said. By actively participating in Taiwan Indigenous conferences and other events, Taipei could make a case for Taiwan’s sovereignty decoupled from the Kuomintang’s Republic of China legacy, he said.

Gorlach said that ultimately, Taiwan’s successful democracy is “a good example of how to atone for the wrongdoings and crimes of a colonial past.”