Teaching with the News
Events in Taiwan, Tibet, and China (Spring 2008)
Events in Taiwan, Tibet, and China are in the News. In the spring of 2008, Chinese security forces cracked down on protests in and around Tibet against the Chinese government. The violence in Tibet escalated to levels not seen in twenty years. The Chinese government blames the Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual leader in exile, for inciting the violence. Chinese leaders say the Dalai Lama seeks complete independence for Tibet and wants to discredit China. Supporters of the Tibetan protestors say that the Dalai Lama seeks only more autonomy from China and did not encourage the protests. Since 1951 the Chinese government has claimed that Tibet is part of China.
In Taiwan, a new president was elected in March 2008 in a tighter race than had originally been predicted. President Ma Ying–jeou, is a member of the Kuomintang or Nationalist Party (KMT), which supports a closer relationship with China than an opposition party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Taiwan and China have been at odds for decades regarding Taiwan's status with China. Some Taiwanese seek complete independence from China, while China asserts that there is "one China" and that Taiwan has been a part of China for centuries and should continue to be so.
Before the Tibetan uprising, many expected Ma to win by a large margin. The situation in Tibet made many Taiwanese want to take a firmer stance against China than Ma Ying-jeou advocated. Support for Ma wavered, though not enough to prevent his election. In the last days of the election campaign both the KMT and DPP sought to support Tibet's calls for autonomy, but were careful not to provoke the Chinese government. "What has happened in Tibet in the past three decades, and what is going on now, is a warning to us," said a DPP member. "We don't want to have the same fate as Tibet." The tightrope Taiwanese politicians walk is related not just to events in China, Taiwan, and Tibet, but also to U.S. security, since the United States is a key figure in the China-Taiwan relationship.
Resources from the Choices Program
The Choices curriculum unit China on the World Stage: Weighing the U.S. Response provides more background on both of these issues, including an extensive lesson plan on the relationship among China, Taiwan, and the United States. These resources can help your students make sense of the news and explain why American leaders are paying close attention to the conflicts.
Additional Online Resources
Teachers might find it useful to have students explore the following online resources for coverage of current events.
PBS Newshour: Deep-rooted Tensions Surface in Tibet Unrest
BBC Q&A: China and Tibet includes links to current news reports.
Newsweek has an interview with the Dalai Lama.
Council on Foreign Relations provides analysis of election of Ma Ying-jeou, plus links to backgrounders on Taiwan-China relations.
The New York TImes provides general information about Taiwan , including links to other sites and to current news articles
Review a list of Choices publications: In addition to its online resources, the Choices Program publishes a wide range of curriculum units on historical turning points and current issues. All published units include extensive background readings and accompanying lesson plans. Ordering is available online.
