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Taiwanese DNA versus Chinese DNA: Genetic science and identity politics across the Taiwan Straits
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 February 2023
Abstract
The article analyses how population genetics has impacted on nationalist discourses across the Taiwan Straits and affected the relationship between Taiwan and China since the 1990s. In Taiwan this cutting-edge science has helped to construct a native-based and Taiwan-centred national identity through promoting indigenous peoples’ rights, rejecting a blood-based, cross-Straits nationalism, and founding a pan-Pacific indigenous peoples’ community through genetic links and cultural affinity. In China, after subverting the nationalist myth of Peking Man (a Homo erectus group believed to be the common ancestor of the Chinese) by analysing genetic data, the same group of Chinese genetic scientists have constructed another nationalist myth of a genetically homogenous nationhood. Such a discourse not only valorizes Chinese nationalism through claiming a DNA-based Chineseness across ethnic distinctions but also asserts genetic links between China and Taiwan, therefore providing a ‘scientific’ basis for China’s nationalism in the new century.
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- © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press.
References
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35 Ibid., p. 67. Austronesian languages are called nandao yuzu (南島語族, southern island language groups) in Taiwan, a term inherited from Japanese colonial anthropology. According to ibid., the group includes indigenous peoples in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, East Timor, Brunei, Micronesia, Polynesia, Hawaii, Babuyan Islands, and Madagascar. They are also scattered in Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, and China’s Hainan Island.
36 Liu, ‘Postcolonial Biotech’, pp. 563–588, p. 571.
37 Foreign Affair and Overseas Taiwanese Committee, ‘The significance of Austronesian culture to the new nanxiang policy’, pp. 70–72.
38 During the time of the nanxiang policy discussed in this article, they included the Solomon Islands, Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau, Kiribati, Nauru, Tuvalu, the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, and Fiji.
39 Zhao Junxiong. ‘New nanxiang policy should use more cultural linkages between Taiwan indigenous people and Austronesian peoples to market Taiwan’ (趙俊雄, 新南向請善用臺灣原住民族與南島民族的文化鏈接, 行銷臺灣), published online 18 October 2016: https://opinion.cw.com.tw/blog/profile/52/article/4937, [last accessed 1 October 2021].
40 For example, the Council of Indigenous Peoples implemented ‘Programs for promoting interactions between international indigenous peoples’ (促進原住民族國際交流獎補助實施要點) https://law.apc.gov.tw/LawContent.aspx?id=FL039119, [last accessed 1 October 2021]. The Ministry of Education also sponsored ‘The international academic research plan for Austronesian culture’ (世界南島學術研究計劃).
41 Chao, Liu, ‘Archeological Discoveries and National Identity—Taking Examples from History Textbooks Published during the Republic Era’ (刘超 ‘考古发现与民族认同——以民国时期中国历史教科书为中心’), Fudan Journal, Social Science Edition vol. 20163 (2016), pp. 23–31.Google Scholar
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48 Xin, Gao, ‘The new developments in the research on the origins of the Chinese people’ (高星 ‘中国人起源研究的新进展’): http://www.kaogu.net.cn/cn/kaoguyuandi/kaogusuibi/2013/1025/34931.html, [accessed 15 December 2022]Google Scholar.
49 For references and events discussed in this paragraph, see Cheng, Discourses, Chapter 3, pp. 99–103.
50 The term was invented by Sung Wen-Ching, ‘Chinese DNA: Genomics and Bionation’, in Asian Biotech, (eds) Ong and Chen, pp. 263–292. Sung’s chapter is basically a theoretical study situated within a global context but lacks empirical data and case studies in detailing the Chinese development.
51 ‘Research results on some structures of gene loci in the genome of Chinese nation accepted’, Research Proposal, National Natural Science Foundation of China, 1993: https://www.nsfc.gov.cn/csc/20345/20348/pdf/1998/中华民族基因组中若干位点基因结构的研究通过专家验收.pdf, [accessed 15 December 2022].
52 Jin, Li and Jiaoyou, Chu, Studies of Genetic Diversity of Chinese Nation 中华民族遗传多样性研究 (上海: 上海科学技术出版社 2006), p. .Google Scholar
53 Ibid., p. 157.
54 Ibid., pp. 212–213.
55 Hui, Li, ‘Seeking roots of Zhonghua minzu in genetic analysis’ (在基因中寻找中华民族之根), 网易公开课 (163.com open lecture): https://open.163.com/newview/movie/free?mid=NDMIJUPCH&pid=NDMIJUPFM, [accessed 15 December 2022]. 163.com is one of the most popular web search engines in ChinaGoogle Scholar.
56 China Education and Research Network, ‘Yunnan University sets up largest gene bank of Chinese minority ethnic groups’: http://www.edu.cn/english/R_D/news/Life/200603/t20060323_157476.shtml, [last accessed 1 October 2021].
57 http://www.cctv.com/overseas/chinareport/200101/23.html, [last accessed 12 November 2021]. The webpage can no longer be opened.
58 Bao lo, ‘How to reinforce the education of Zhonghua minzu identity at academic level in Tibet’, (保罗 ‘在西藏如何以学术层面加强‘中华民族认同’教育?’): http://www.xzass.org/newsinfo.php?id=2150&pn=2 The article is no longer accessible, but its title is listed in the author’s official webpage: http://www.tibetology.ac.cn/2021-10/12/content_41697864.htm, [accessed 15 December 2022].
59 The Central Committee of China’s Communist Youth League, ‘Nature published a significant article, proving Han and Zang shared the same origin’ (‘Nature刊发重磅考古文章, 基因组学证实’汉藏同源’): https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_11703961, [accessed 15 December 2022].
60 The most recent example was an article published on the overseas webpage of the People’s Daily, in response to Lin’s interview with a pro-independence Taiwanese TV show. ‘Taiwanese doctor said, “Taiwanese genes is different from that of the mainliner’s, even Taiwanese are laughing”’. ‘台医师说’台湾人和中国人基因不同, 岛内呵呵了’, published online 4 January 2019: http://news.haiwainet.cn/n/2019/0114/c3541093-31479534.html?nojump=1, [accessed 16 December 2022].
61 China Today Weekly, ‘Taiwan ethnic minorities visiting relatives in Hainan’ (今日中国周刊 ‘台湾少数民族海南探亲’): http://www.chinatoday.com.cn/china/20023/hainan.htm, [accessed 16 December 2022].
62 Radio Free Asia, ‘Taiwanese indigenous peoples: “We are not Chinese.’” ‘臺灣原住民: “我們不是中國人”’: https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/gangtai/hx1-01112019095606.html, [accessed 16 December 2022].
63 Shi Shi and Dashou, Huang, A History of Early Inhabitants of Taiwan (史式, 黄大受《台湾先住民史》北京 九州 2006)Google Scholar.
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