but one has only to look at the inaugural issue of Taiwan bungaku (Taiwanese Literature) in May 1941 with its core of Taiwanese writers. They boldly highlighted Taiwanese literature and stood in opposition to Bungei Taiwan (Nishikawa Mitsuru's Literary and Artistic Taiwan), inaugurated in January 1941; indeed they were looked upon by Nishikawa as an "enemy unit."

     The concept of Taiwanese literature in its fullness was established by the 1930s; in view of the main course of events this becomes very clear by the final stage of the war, and has not changed. In the circumstances of that time Taiwanese were Japanese nationals, but internally Taiwanese were seen as the "islanders" in contrast to the "homeland." The Taiwanese literature that developed under these conditions could not possibly be put under Chinese literature.

     At that time, the writers of the League of Leftist Chinese Writers correctly ascertained the nature of Taiwanese literature. Hu Feng translated Yang K'uei's "Newsboy," Lu Ho-juo's "Oxcart," and Yang Hua's "Unfortunate Life," which were included in Shan-ling-Ch'ao-hsien T'ai-wan tuan-p'ien hsiao-shuo hsuan (Mountain Spirit--Anthology of Short Stories from Korea and Taiwan). Shanghai, Sheng-huo wen-hua Publishing, 1936. Yang K'uei's "Newsboy" was also included in Jo-hsiao min-tsu hsiao-shuo hsuan (Selected Stories from Small and Weak Nations). Shanghai, Shih-chieh Chih-shih-she, 1936. China's leftist writers considered Taiwanese literature under the rubric of "small and weak nations," and the Chinese Communist Party treated Korea and Taiwan exactly the same way. Mao Tse-tung expressed his views to Edgar Snow at Yen-an in 1936:

     If the Korean people wish to smash the chains of Japanese imperialism, we will extend to them a friendly hand and help them carry on the struggle for independence. We will treat Taiwan the same way.

     But the Second World War changed everything. History's evolution is complicated and changes in politics are unfathomable; an individual writer is but one of the many living beings, and, tempered by the crucible of the times, can only depict the struggles of the people with the pen, powerless to change history.

     In 1946 the leftist Chinese writer Hsiao Ch'ien went to Taiwan as a writer and asked, "Will Taiwan become China's Ireland, or will it turn inwards and become a part of China?" And this question was posed before the February 28 Incident in 1947.

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