Philippine, Vietnam, Singapore, and Malaysia are at least protected by their sovereignty status as an independent country, their regional association ASEAN, and their ally relationship with USA. The difficulty one is Taiwan.

The best timing for self-determination and independent was in the middle of 20th century, there were more than 100 new independent countries, almost every year during 1950s and 1960s, there were countries declared independence. At that time, the rule of thumb is that if more than 10% of population preferred independent, then international community will support and help conducting self-determination referendum, no exception during 1950s and 1960s. But somehow the situation in Taiwan was very different, the supporting rate of independent did not cross over 3% during 1950s and 1960s, even at that time Formosans in US and Western society where have freedom of speech and press, the supporting rate of independent rarely crossed over 10% (although nearly 30% of Formosans in US and Western demanded democracy, freedom, and general election).

The underline causes of current difficult political circumstance can attribute back to education and social control in Taiwan at that time. In order for Chinese refugees enjoyed educational resources which built up by Japanese since 19th century and duplicated Germany system, college curriculum, and laboratory standard, Chinese refugees strictly controlled the subjects of college entrance exams particularly thru Chinese language and political thought which were not favorable to Formosan. Formosan can only speak Taiwanese, Japanese, English and Deutsche (impacted by Japan) at that time. At the beginning Formosan were not used to praise the Chinese dictator/militant and ruling political party in the political thought subject (On the other hand, children of Chinese refugees praised dictators, militants, and ruling political party for their personal gain, for college education, political power, position, money and all kind of resources). Influenced by Japan, without praising dictators and ruling political party in the required political thought subject, the majority of Formosan failed in the college entrance exam in 1950s.

The first time I visited Taiwan was in 1950s and was told some stories during my trips since then. In 1940s, Chinese refugees went to Taiwan killed around 10,000 Formosan intellectuals and elites who educated in Japanese Educational system (Japan is the first industrial country in Eastern hemisphere). After the massacre, Chinese refugees ruled Formosan in an extremely harsh way while enjoyed all the political power, money, education, and resources. At that time the average income of Chinese refugees is about 6 times (600 %) higher than average Formosan farmers and workers who were actually enslaved.

In addition to their 6 times higher regular salary, Chinese refugees who mostly occupied government and military positions applied all kind of fabricated/fake receipts to get funds for their personal wealth from government/military expenditure (at that time nearly 20% government expenditure were for military, compared around 5% of government expenditure was designated to educational budget). Because too many fabricated/fake receipts to get funds for their personal gain, they used up military fiscal budget. As a result, the expenditure of military academics and military training were allocate into educational category (for your comparison, in US the expenditure of West Point, Naval Academy,,,,, are NOT from education budget). Including the money from their fabricated/fake receipts, average income of Chinese refugees is at least 20 times (2000 %) higher than average Formosan farmers and workers. This the largest race/ethnicity based income inequality in the human history resulted by ruling of military power. The inequality of income level and educational opportunity of Formosan at that time was much worse than now Yazidis of Syria for example.

I hope historians can help to document the fact and for oral history purposes. I talked to several young Formosans in 1950s. One of young Formosan was the first place in his high school, he planned to study at Tokyo University. The other also at top rank at his high school, based on their ranking at that time, he should be able to study at Kyoto University. Then Chinese came, they all failed to pass the college examination set up by the Chinese, simply because at that time they did not know how to praise the militant Chiang and ruling political party in the required political thought subject. As a result, Chinese refugees took over their educational opportunities.

Another guy told me he planned to study Waseda University at Shinjuku, but unfortunately Chinese refugees came, they took over his educational opportunity

In order to validate the truth, to balance the opinion, and avoid misunderstanding, I talked to people from both sides of the aisle. Very interesting is that none of Chinese refugees (yes NO ONE during my stay at that time) thought they will fight back to China or really trusted the dictator Chiang or believed ruling political party or attracted by ideology. They strongly supported dictator Chiang and ruling political party purely want to milk the system and enslaved Formosan for their personal gain, especially for their position, political power, money, and for a lot of money in order to honor their father and ancestors.

Although under democracy system now, some underline differences between this region and Western society, such as the income of retired middle ranking militants and middle rank government officers is still 3 times higher than young software engineer or electrical engineers. Especially when you compare to Western system such as in US, Europe, and Japan, in Silicon Valley, the income of engineers is about 3 times higher than government employees in Sacramento, California. As a matter of fact, some senior engineers in Silicon Valley, their income are higher than secretary of Defense Department or Secretary of State, John Kerry.

Some of my observation regarding the underline processes of political economy include:

1. Democracy for the few,

2. Patronized social and political network, and

3. hitman becomes an engineering member of the National Academy of Sciences

The unique cultural and political economy in that region is strict social control, only people associated/affiliated with any ruling political parties and politicians become super rich during a very short period of time or become any so called high achievers in their society, they worked with any ruling political parties and politicians for their personal gain. My estimation based on demographic composition are roughly 3% of total population in China under single-party political system and 5 % of total population in Formosa under Democracy multiple-party system in which I named it as Democracy for the few.

Affiliation with ruling political party and politicians is the entrance ticket and a must for any good position, such as a professor. If you have good relationship with ruling political party and buyout some politicians, a hitman, yes HITMAN, can be a member/fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, no kidding. Typically they sold their asset, such as paintings, houses, or stocks with price far below their market value to the children or relatives of powerful people and politicians to strengthen their political relationship in order for their personal gain. The cheapest part is your qualification in which you buy several patents (the average selling price per patent is $370 k in USA, the price even much cheaper in Asia) or hire employees working for you.

Because you have spent money buyout people, then they will articulate the rational and reasons in their recommendation such as your construction sites are the most important research center for civil engineering and architect and your patents are significant and important patent in human engineering history, therefore you are most qualify for member of science and engineering of National Academic.

People without relationship or without associated/affiliated with ruling political party became poor farmers and workers for example the workers of Pearl River Delta work long hours, 10 or 11 hours per day is typical, but they do NOT earn much (per iphone labor cost is around $17) and their daughters become prostitutes in the cities. The only thing farmers and workers received is that intellectual, scientist, professor, political and opinion leaders, wealthy people, and media all congratulated them because NO estrangement of their labor based on left-wing ideology while the children of intellectual, scientist, professor, political and opinion leaders, wealthy people, and media enjoyed all the beautiful part of Capitalism in US, Europe, and Australia.

Formosans who have praised and affiliated with ruling political party starting since late 1950s and early 1960s and like most of Chinese refugees, they became now scientists, engineers, doctors, intellectual, entrepreneur, business owner, wealthy and high achievers in the society, or most people with money and power,,,,,or emigrated to USA while righteousness people who refused to praise and to associated with ruling political party became poor farmers and workers and their daughters become prostitutes in the cities.

Because the affiliation of any ruling political parties and politicians are determine factors in their society, as the result they over-praise militants and government officers. Although the different between middle rank of militants and government officers and Formosan engineers is shrinking from 6 times higher mark. However the income of retired middle ranking militants and middle rank government officers is still 3 times higher than young software engineer or electrical engineers based on my recent updates about this country.