Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard of the ongoing Taiwan China conflict. Taiwan has been independent of China since 1949 at the end of World War II. Taiwan has been recognized as the Republic of China, or ROP for short. Since their separation, various Chinese leaders have tried to get Taiwan to consolidate back with China. This is not ideal for Taiwan since their style of government is conflicting with China’s. China’s recent moves have shown slight aggressions which make their threat of military action a concern. The United States has been supplying the small Island of Taiwan with defensive weapons amid these threats. The possibility of war between the US, China, and Taiwan is now more realistic than ever.

The picture I chose to analyze shows pro-Taiwan protestors carrying signs. The two visible signs read “One China” and “Taiwan Independence or War”. The “One China” sign is confusing since it seems to be promoting China’s cause. I believe however that the sign is meant to be mocking since the next sign over is promoting independence.

The “Taiwan Independence or War” sign is showing the extreme circumstances the Taiwan people are willing to go to to keep their independence. China has a much stronger military than Taiwan does. China has been an established country for longer than Taiwan, so they have a stronger military force. Also, in terms of population, China has a population almost fifty times that of Taiwan. Going to war on Taiwan’s part would be pretty much suicidal. This suggestion of war for independence suggests that Taiwanese citizens are willing to sacrifice their lives for Taiwan and their current form of government.

In terms of these signs’ effectiveness, I believe they are very effective. The “Taiwan Independence or War” poster shows the degree of the issue to the world. It’s important to point out that this sign is written in English, unlike the other signs. This is most likely meant to appeal to a worldwide audience, and even more specifically, the United States. Since the United States is the main nation aiding Taiwan, their perception of the situation is critical. The English writing also tells the world that Taiwan will not succumb to Chinese force easily.

The one question that prevents this protest’s argument from being perfect is the “One China” sign. On initial analysis, this protest appeared to be pro-China to me. It wasn’t until I saw the other poster and the large Taiwan flag that I understood the argument. If the sign was meant to be sarcastic, a question mark after the statement would have led to a smoother communication of the message.