West Taiwan

English

Etymology

A reversal of the People's Republic of China's claim to Taiwan, possibly also a reference to the claims of the Republic of China on Taiwan to Mainland China.

Proper noun

West Taiwan

1. (chiefly Internet slang, derogatory) People's Republic of China or mainland China
   • 2021 December 9, Keoni Everington, “German video game ad labels China 'West Taiwan'”, in Taiwan News‎^[1], archived from the original on 09 December 2021‎^[2]:

     The use of the term "West Taiwan" (西台灣) to mock China has steadily grown in popularity since January 2020 when President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said that Beijing needs to face the reality that Taiwan is already an independent country. At the time, netizens conjured terms such as "Mainland Taiwan," "Taiwanese Beijing," and "West Taiwan" to agitate Chinese nationalists, censors, and trolls.

   • 2021 December 13, Adrian Wong, “WW3 Game Goes Viral With Map Of West Taiwan + Uyghur!”, in TechARP‎^[3], archived from the original on 2021-12-13, Business + Enterprise Articles + News!‎^[4]:

     On 3 December 2021, Bytro Labs started advertising their mobile game on Facebook using a map of a tiny China, with a massive West Taiwan to the south, and even an Uyghur nation to the west! […]
     Needless to say, the Conflict of Nations: World War 3 advertisement quickly went viral, with Chinese netizens outraged over the map showing West Taiwan and an Uyghur nation.

   • 2022 March 30, Carl Samson, “Taiwan’s foreign ministry makes viral 'West Taiwan' meme out of Drake meme”, in NextShark, Yahoo! News‎^[5], archived from the original on 03 April 2022‎^[6]:

     The pair of images, based on the popular “Hotline Bling” Drake meme, shows a Formosan black bear repulsed by an invitation to study in "West Taiwan," but apparently enthusiastic to do so in Taiwan.

   • 2022 August 9, Wichuta Teeratanabodee, Quah Say Jye, “Pelosi’s Taiwan Visit has Revived the Milk Tea Alliance”, in Foreign Policy‎^[7], archived from the original on 09 August 2022‎^[8]:

     A few satirical maps describing China as “West Taiwan” or “South Mongolia” and “North Hong Kong” are also trending.

2. Western Taiwan.
   • 1961, E. H. G. Dobby, “Insular Eastern Asia—Taiwan and the Philippines”, in Monsoon Asia (A Systematic Regional Geography)‎^[9], volume V, London: University of London Press, →OCLC, page 165:

     Japanese markets during the first half of the century gave rise to a well-organised commercial agriculture in West Taiwan, differing greatly from South China.

   • 1973 October 21, “Freeway work on schedule”, in Free China Weekly [自由中國週報]‎^[10], volume XIV, number 41, Taipei, →ISSN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 1, column 1:

     Premier Chiang Ching-kuo said October 12 that the North-South Freeway, a 373-kilometer (235-mile) artery along west Taiwan, will have to be completed on schedule by 1978.

   • 1975 July 18, “ULCCs plan goes ahead”, in Marine Week‎^[11], volume 2, number 29, London, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 7, column 2:

     Mr. Tung apparently plans to lay up 10 tankers at Penghu, an island off West Taiwan (see map, page 1).

   • 2010, Mark O'Neill, “Beginnings”, in Tzu Chi: Serving with Compassion‎^[12], John Wiley & Sons (Asia) Pte. Ltd., →ISBN, →OCLC, page 22:

     That year, members of the foundation began charity work in Taichung, West Taiwan.

   • 2021 March 28, “Taiwan News Quick Take”, in Taipei Times‎^[13], →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 27 March 2021, Taiwan News, page 3‎^[14]:

     Meanwhile, due to a lack of wind, air quality in west Taiwan was poor yesterday, the Environmental Protection Administration said. Air quality could deteriorate early this morning, triggering a “red” alert — which signals unhealthy air quality — in some parts of Yunlin, Chiayi and Tainan counties, it said.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:West Taiwan.

Usage notes

Some pro-Taiwan independence commentators have criticized the term despite its anti-Chinese nature for suggesting that China and Taiwan are part of the same nation.