3 Chinese and a Russian in Leeds semi-finals
NewsTen have got through to tomorrow’s semis:
Kai-Min Chang (Taiwan)
Xuehong Chen (China)
Junyan Chen (China)
Jaeden Izik-Dzurko (Canada)
Elizaveta Kliuchereva (Russia)
Khanh Nhi Luong (Vietnam)
Callum McLachlan (United Kingdom)
Julian Trevelyan (United Kingdom)
Tomoharu Ushida (Japan)
Ryan Zhu (Canada)
Kai-Min Chang is Taiwanese, not “Chinese” (or Leeds’ erroneously designated “China Taiwan”). It is a shame the Leeds has taken on a stand in this political quandary.
Not a shame at all, Taiwanese people see their country as the true Chinese state – its official name is after all the Republic of China. That designation is probably just what the candidate put on their application.
That’s like saying that the sky is green!
“In an opinion poll conducted in Taiwan by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation in 2022 found that among Taiwanese adults aged 20 years and older, 50% said they support Taiwan independence, 11.8% for unification, 25.7% for maintaining status quo.”
https://web.archive.org/web/20240404160008/https://www.tpof.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/20220816-TPOF-August-2022-Public-Opinion-Poll-%E2%80%93-English-Excerpt.pdf
As one who visits Taiwan around 4 times a year, Taiwanese people regard themselves as Taiwanese! As for the Olympics and other major international sports events, the nomenclature for many years has been “Chinese Taipei.” The Republic of China no longer esists.
In effect the only genuine Chinese people on the island are the original aboriginal population who have been there for millennia and the relatively few Han Chinese who moved there during the 250 years of Chinese rule prior to the Japanese invasion in 1895. Almost all the many millions of others are direct descendants of the two million who followed Chiang Kai Shek to the island in 1949.
Another fact that many elect to forget is that the Republic of China was a figment of Chiang’s imagination when he arrived in Taiwan – aided by Washington policy makers who were horrified when Mao’s forces beat his. “Who lost China?” was one of the most common phrases heard in the corrdors of Washington at the time.
Chiang always assumed he would return to the mainland and retake it. This ideal was very much helped as a result of the lobbying efforts in the USA of Chiang’s Christian, fluent English speaker and very formidable wife, Soong Mei-ling. With considerable PR and political assistance from her good friend, Henry Luce the co-founder and publlisher of TIME magazine, she spent a lot of time in the USA lobbing for cash and support for Chiang’s objective. Initially, Americans loved her. Then Nixon turned the tables and cosied up to Mao in 1971, thus rendering Chiang and his wife as helpless.
Not all Amercans were in favour of Chiang and his Republic of China. In the 1920s and 30s Chiang was known to stay in power only because he was in cahoots with the notorious Green Gang in Shanghai. This criminal gang was hugely corrupt, involved in all manner of crime including murder, assassination, prostitution and especially drugs. As President Truman was to say of Chiang’s government, “They’re thieves everyone of them!” Another fact is that in 1991 the government in Taiwan conformed that the Peoples Republic of China is the legitimate sovereign power in mainland China. Lastly, polls (the last held in 2023) show that a majority (granted a small one) of the island’s present popuilation do not want any form of independence.
There are many outside Asia who suggest Taiwan should be a separate independent country. The facts do not support such views.
Oh grow up. Norman’s absolutely right – there are indeed 3 Chinese people. Taiwan is part of China whether Taiwanese people like it or not. They should be thankful they’re allowed so many exclusive laws, such as gay marriages. So deal with it and be grateful.
It doesn’t matter what the people in Taiwan or mainland China think or are. The competition in the UK must obey the British laws including UK’s current views on foreign affairs, so I guess there’s no field for discussion here.
Strange headline. Why are the Chinese and Russian semi-finalists more worthy of attention than those of other nationalities?
Hear hear! No Americans, for example.
The more pertinent question is why are Asian students succeeding so spectacularly in, well, everything? I know the answer but do you?
I stopped watching as I couldn’t take the facial gyrations and histrionics anymore during many of the performances. What are their teachers telling them?
Not what Earl Wild.would tell them
Totally agree. Earl, although a big man, would sail through an exquisite recital of Chopin and Liszt with barely any change in his seemingly outwardly calm demeanour.
Taiwanese are not Chinese.
Ethnically they are Chinese and proud of it!
On what basis do you make that statement? Your knowledge of Taiwan amounts to what?
No doubt you recall that in 1943 at the Cairo Conference attended by both Churchill and Roosevelt, it was agreed that all territories conquered by Japan would at the end of the war be returned to the sovereign powers prior to invasion. This was later ratified at the Potsdam Conference. Thus Singapore and Malaysia were returned to the occupying British colonial power. Taiwan was returned to China which had been its sovereign power for 250 years. That Mao’s forces later beat Chiang’s has nothing to do with the issue. The one country who did everything to negate this agreement was the USA! Other countries, including the UK, did not agree with the US attempts.
Given the affection the Left in the UK hold for communist China……
Back in May, Norman said there was ‘only one Brit in Leeds Piano Competition’.
It appears that Trevelyan has made his way back in 😉
Julian Trevelyan was named as “first reserve” for the second round. One of the other 24 competitors was unable to travel to Leeds and so Trevelyan got the chance to step in and perform. And he made the most of his opportunity.
Bravo to Julian & Callum- our home grown contestants- to reach the semis. Whether we like it or not- its now a clear matter of fact- that Asians are predominating in these type of international contests. Some of them play brilliantly & impeccably on a technical level but most of them sound about the same & have little to say musically- regrettably.
Your deafness and blindness is only (slightly) overshadowed by your racist bigotry.
Not Mark- thankyou- I’m neither ‘deaf’ nor blind’ nor ‘racist’ just for the record. The ‘uniformity’ of current young Asian pianists is shared by many intelligent commentators- including many on competition juries- much more qualified than myself to decide. This may have more to do with their ‘schooling’ in which the emphasis is more on technical perfection & to compete rather than on delving the depths of these great composers’ intellectual & emotional intentions. Btw- there are exceptions to the rule of course- Yun Chan Lim- the last winner of the Cliburn- is perhaps the most remarkable young pianist in the world today. So lets forget that this is all about ‘Racial Bigotry’ which says more about your hang ups than mine!