Singapore Expats

Surely its geographical location leans more toward being South East? Also, Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung are politically recognised as South East Asian cities.

The Taiwanese language (Hokkien/Min Nan/Lan-Nang) is also recognised as South East Asian. I know they also speak Mandarin, but being mixed with Taiwanese myself, I find that my family speak in Hokkien unless they're addressing a foreigner. I've found that to be true of most people in Taipei also.

The native Taiwanese also have the same base ancestry to the Filipinos (Austronesians; originally in Taiwan then spread to the Philippines).

I've heard the same questioned about Macau and Hong Kong.

Any thoughts, guys?

You don't eat enough chili?

Last time i checked China wasn't South East it was just the Far East.

badgerxbutt wrote:Surely its geographical location leans more toward being South East? Also, Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung are politically recognised as South East Asian cities.

The Taiwanese language (Hokkien/Min Nan/Lan-Nang) is also recognised as South East Asian. I know they also speak Mandarin, but being mixed with Taiwanese myself, I find that my family speak in Hokkien unless they're addressing a foreigner. I've found that to be true of most people in Taipei also.

The native Taiwanese also have the same base ancestry to the Filipinos (Austronesians; originally in Taiwan then spread to the Philippines).

I've heard the same questioned about Macau and Hong Kong.

Any thoughts, guys?

min is actually a bunch of ancestral chinese people. "min nan" means min southerners. min nan yu is their dialect (a local language, not unlike cantonese)...

taiwan is populated by many min-derived or min-nan speaking people from fujian, as are some countries in SEA and the two coasts of the US.

IIRC Macau+HK-SAR, TW-ROC, CN-PRC, KR, DPRK and JP are east asian...

the india, sri lankan (and more) bloc are south asian...

and then there's SEA...

these groupings are by geographical locations, not language/ancestry.

you're better off reading up about fujian and Min Yue Kingdom (as i don't know enough about it).

ScoobyDoes - nobody has mentioned anything about China.

Thanks for your answers so far, but why are three Taiwanese cities recognised as major cities of South East Asia, yet the actual country is not?

badgerxbutt wrote:why are three Taiwanese cities recognised as major cities of South East Asia, yet the actual country is not?

How exactly are they recognized as being South East Asian cities? And what does 'politically recognized' means? Is there an official body that groups cities?

I don't see how Taiwan, or any of its cities would even vaguely be classed as South East Asian by any measure of classification.

Scooby, I stopped using the term Far East very long ago when I found out about its origins. I personally think every single Asian country that ever came under colonial rule (or was a victim of it) should stick lots of their country's flags in a symbolic area to remind themselves never to let it happen again.

teck21 wrote:I personally think every single Asian country that ever came under colonial rule (or was a victim of it) should stick lots of their country's flags in a symbolic area to remind themselves never to let it happen again.

Can they actually bend over far enough to do that effectively?

badgerxbutt wrote:ScoobyDoes - nobody has mentioned anything about China.

Taiwan is further East than China and more North than Hong Kong, so trying to get Taiwan into S.E. Asia is very much a stretch..... that was my point, it's relationship to those around it.

I personally think every single Asian country that ever came under colonial rule (or was a victim of it) should stick lots of their country's flags in a symbolic area to remind themselves never to let it happen again.

And yet i bet you still say Dubai is in the Middle East. It's geographically factual given GMT regardless of what connotations are mixed in and i'm not trying to make more of than is there.

Exactly who sees Taiwan as a South East Asian nation? Where does it state that Taipei etc... are considered as SEA cities?

for what I know in fact china always want to take back taiwan

same apply for HK

but taiwan hold it stand and claim taiwan as independent country of it own.

SGBoyxxx wrote: for what I know in fact china always want to take back taiwan

same apply for HK

but taiwan hold it stand and claim taiwan as independent country of it own.

Well, kind of correct, not too far off.


The question, however, was about Taiwan being seen as part of South East Asia

Scooby, I realize that alot of people use the terms Far East and Middle Est without ackowledging or even being aware of the connotations, it's simply a matter of preference for me. In the same way I never ever use the term 'he' preferring to go 'he or she' however long winded it may be.

teck21 wrote:Scooby, I realize that alot of people use the terms Far East and Middle Est without ackowledging or even being aware of the connotations, it's simply a matter of preference for me.

History is just that......history. We accept it, learn from it and move on. Most countries have something in the past they are not proud of, well no let's change that, ALL countries will have things in their past they can ill be proud of.

Holding certain countries accountable whilst not others is a little half hearted even when those countries themselves are not too proud of their past.

Each to his own but i feel no guilt or shame on behalf of the generations that went before me, it does not reflect on who I am or what I stand for.

ScoobyDoes wrote: History is just that......history. We accept it, learn from it and move on. Most countries have something in the past they are not proud of, well no let's change that, ALL countries will have things in their past they can ill be proud of.

Holding certain countries accountable whilst not others is a little half hearted even when those countries themselves are not too proud of their past.

Each to his own but i feel no guilt or shame on behalf of the generations that went before me, it does not reflect on who I am or what I stand for.

May I just give you a simple round of and would recommend this post as 'Wisdom of the year', even though it is only January.

Having lived and worked in Europe for quite a few years and here in Asia even longer I can see the vast difference between how people handle history.
The Japanese are still hated by many, especially Koreans and Mainland Chinese, and this is used to political advantage and gain by many.

Indians are still peeved at the 'looting' of their country by the British, etc etc etc . . . and the list goes on.

Grow up, people, and realise that your own history has some very dark days as well and it is the height of hypocrisy to ignore that.

Excellent post, ScoobyDoes!

Vaucluse wrote: May I just give you a simple round of and would recommend this post as 'Wisdom of the year', even though it is only January.

Any time i see your name under mine i get nervous but you know what, thanks...... this time The holiday did you good, and looks like it's something I should try someday.

Next beer's on me