Moreover, through the historical experience of Taiwan one can see that besides writers native to this island, there are also writers from different parts of China and abroad, while the language medium has always been a mixture of northern and southern dialects, Chinese and other foreign languages. If you made a distinction based solely on nationality or the use of the indigenous dialect, it would unavoidably lead to the exclusion of many pearls of the "Taiwanese experience." And I may further add that the language of a future Taiwanese literature still has a rough and difficult road to go; therefore in making more open definitions with regard to language there are prospective and strategic considerations. Now as to whether or not the works of writers of the first and second generations of "mainlanders"can be considered Taiwanese literature, I would suggest that one test them with the litmus paper of "taking the viewpoint of the people of Taiwan and writing about Taiwanese experience";  then their true nature will be revealed, and any argument or countercharge will be superfluous.

     [First published in "T'u-ti wen-hsüh"(Homeland Literature), supplement to T'ai-wan shih-pao (Taiwan Times), December 15, 1993.]

     Li Ch'iao, whose original name is Li Neng-ch'i, was born in Miao-li county in 1934.  He  graduated from Hsin-chu Normal College, and was an elementary and highschool teacher.  He started to publish his collections of short stories in the sixties, which include P'iao-jan k'uang-yeh (Drifting in the Wilderness), Lien-ko (Love Songs), and Wan-ch'ing (Late Shining Days), and he has also published several novels, including Ku-teng (A Lone Light), Han-yeh (Cold Night), and Huang-ts'un (Deserted Village).

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