Elon Musk says that Taiwan is an integral part of China, just as the Hawaiian Islands are an integral part of the United States. Well, that’s a pretty interesting analogy. In 1893 the American government, under the leadership of its Minister Plenipotentiary John L. Stevens, seized control of the Hawaiian Islands, forcing the Queen, “with a gun to her head,” to relinquish her authority. Here is the Letter of Protest of Queen Lili’uokalani ~
January 17, 1893
I, Lili’uokalani, by the grace of God and under the constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom, Queen, do hereby solemnly protest against any and all acts done against myself and the constitutional Government of the Hawaiian Kingdom by certain persons claiming to have established a provisional government of and for this Kingdom.
That I yield to the superior force of the United States of America whose Minister Plenipotentiary, His Excellency John L. Stevens, has caused United States troops to be landed at Honolulu and declared that he would support the provisional government.
Now to avoid any collision of armed forces, and perhaps the loss of life, I do this under protest and impelled by said force yield my authority until such time as the Government of the United States shall, upon facts being presented to it, undo the action of its representatives and reinstate me in the authority which I claim as the Constitutional Sovereign of the Hawaiian Islands.
Lili’uokalaniSo, yes, China might consider that Taiwan is an integral part of China (along with Tibet, while we’re at it) in the same way that the United States considers the Hawaiian Islands an integral part of the United States, by armed force, in opposition to the will of the people.
