The Official Olympics Rio 2016 thread - USA Get Most Golds, 2nd GB, 3rd China

[mjk45]

WagnerPaiva said:

mjk45 said:

Why not Taiwan has it's own democraticly elected government and isn't part of the Peoples republic of China even though China lays claim to it , the only concession is it uses the name chinese Tapei since China was admitted to the Olymics, you might have a stronger case if you questioned Hong Kong competing as a separate team, since even though they have some automony they are a Chinese region, having said that their long Olympic history is most likely why they continue as Hong Kong.

I wonder why these two small pieces of land are so important and specially Hong Kong, there is somehting really special about that region.

As to there importance ,in Hong Kong's case Britain being one of the Western powers during the 19 century trade wars with China, negotiated a 99 year lease for the island to use as a far east base of operations, during British rule it grew into a important city geographicaly and strategically with it's access to the west and East and for that same reason financially , with China running it's money through the exchange , so those factors plus China having always seen Hong Kong has part of China that they where forced to give up gives it that importance.

In regards to Tawain , after the communist victory over the Nationlists in China , most of the Elite fled to Tawain and basically set up a government in exile and claiming they represented China to the world hoping to one day reclaim the mainland, over the years as that hope diminished it morphed into them  ruling Tawain as a separate Nation, so just from an historical perspective you can see why China looks at Tawain.

One thing we should remember in all this is the fact that Tawain wasn't some uninhabited Island and like most invasions it has meant a marginalisation of the ethnic tawainese people.