Taiwan authorities are taking continuous actions these days about the so-called "national title" and making an issue of it. Firstly Annette Lu cited again "Taiwan Republic of China" in Chen Shui-bian's speech on May 20, then Yu Shyi Kun mentioned "Taiwan, ROC" 16 times in a speech during his visit. Then Chen Shui-bian stood out, saying that as many people were talking about the abbreviation of the "national title", an important and serious topic to him, he did not think "Taiwan, ROC" is appropriate. To him "the most accurate and truest abbreviation should be nothing but 'Taiwan'".

At Chen's remark, Taiwan's departments of "foreign affairs" dared not slight it but held urgent meetings overtime to discuss how to carry out accordingly Chen's "policy and guidance". Their conclusion was: in the future, "Taiwan-highlighted" address, primarily "Taiwan" will be applied to international organizations and official documents to "countries with no diplomatic relations with Taiwan" and "ROC" will be maintained in official documents to "countries with diplomatic relations with Taiwan". Media in Taiwan said it was a great change in using the abbreviation of the "national title" for foreign use.

Taiwan authorities coined many neither-fish-nor-fowl "abbreviations of the national title", which were wording games but also aimed to "highlight Taiwan" and change the "national title" in a circular way. No wonder, once Chen's version of abbreviation of "national title" came out, applause was heard in the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Lee Teng-hui nodded repeatedly. The splittists regarded it as an important step towards the "rectification of Taiwan's name", highlighting Taiwan's consciousness of nation and subjectivity.

Taiwan's moves to "rectify its name" through changing the "national title" can be dated back to long time ago. As DPP took power, "gradual Taiwan-independence" targeting "dezincification" has never stopped. Particularly cultural "Taiwan independence" was the most conspicuous. It added Taiwan's history and geography into the textbooks, listed Chinese history, history of literature into the world's history and the history of foreign literature and revised the internationally used Chinese Pinyin to Taiwanese version. Some imaginative people even turned the map 90 degrees anti-clockwise to make Taiwan seem to be at the center of the Pacific Ocean. And actions rejecting the higher education diplomas granted by the motherland and blocking the cultural exchanges have been going on and on. After a series of preparations and propaganda, now the separatists think it is the right time, thus rip their mask away to "rectify the name of Taiwan" and rush straight to the subject of altering the "national title". But thieves are after all timid inwardly as they dare not change the "national title" avowedly but cover it up "bashfully". Taiwan's "foreign minister", on one hand, requires people to use, if possible, "Taiwan" as widely as they can and as much as they can, but says "the act is not saying that the "national title'' has been changed."

Why the Taiwan authorities rack their brains to put forward such political symbols as "national title" and "rectification of Taiwan's name" but do it covertly? Because their pledges are still reverberating and people still remember them. Now they have to think twice before breaking their promise.

Due to the pressures from various parties, Chen Shui-bian changed the "constitution-making" to "renovation of constitutional government" and said "those topics concerning sovereignty, integrity of territory, unification and independence, have not received consensus of the majority of the Taiwan society, so personally he suggested the topics not be included in the renovation. Taiwan's "National Security Council" also claimed that there would be no change in Chen's promise that "constitution amending is not concerned with the alteration of the 'national title'". However, those forced remarks are all reluctant because the separatists have never awakened from the dream of "rectifying Taiwan's name" and making Taiwan a "country with sovereignty". Their idea of "Taiwan independence" is deep-rooted and its essence does not change. Once they think it is the right time, they will show themselves in various headstrong ways, just as how they went in for "gradual Taiwan independence" and "abbreviation of the national title". Even though they made all kinds of "pledges", they can be of nothing as "Taiwan independence" makes them so. Indeed, they are naturally untrustworthy. And, obsession with "independence" makes them muddle-headed enough to have said and done such things for "rectification of Taiwan's name". However, alarm is ringing again for the Chinese people across the Straits, making us more alert against the separatists' perverse acts.

The article on the front page of People's Daily Oveaseas Edition on September 10 is translated by People's Daily Online