Native Taiwanese Often Overlooked

James Flanigan’s “An Island of Stability in Rough Asian Seas” [Jan. 25], misrepresented one fact regarding the demographics of the island country. It mentioned that “the government of Taiwan’s 21 million people descends from the Nationalist forces of Chiang Kai-shek.” This is inaccurate.

About 80% of the population are native Taiwanese, “native” meaning residents to the island long before the arrival of the Nationalist forces. I feel insulted by the fact that the Western journalists have consistently ignored this group of people. We have been edited out of many articles in the L.A. Times. With the native Taiwanese gaining governing power, the population has finally decided to declare “independence,” which the Chiang Kai-shek government refused to do, in fear of losing its power over the population.

JACK CHANG

Downey