日批在线视频_内射毛片内射国产夫妻_亚洲三级小视频_在线观看亚洲大片短视频_女性向h片资源在线观看_亚洲最大网

US EUROPE AFRICA ASIA 中文
Opinion / Op-Ed Contributors

Independent Scotland will be a blow to UK

By Ji Qiufeng (China Daily) Updated: 2014-09-17 07:50

Will Scotland become an independent country? We will know the answer to the question by this weekend. Although opinion polls show a high percent of Scottish people favoring a "yes" vote, the ultimate result of the referendum remains uncertain, especially because influential British political figures, including Prime Minister David Cameron and Labour Party chief Ed Miliband, have rushed to Scotland to rally support for a "no" vote.

Some observers believe that the effects of an independent Scotland would be hardly felt, because the Scottish people have not used (or intend to use) violence or other radical means to gain independence and the queen would remain the head of state of even an independent Scotland.

But such a view pertains to the Western world as a whole. For the United Kingdom, however, the effects of an independent Scotland would be long lasting. Also, it would give rise to some difficult questions. Since the Treaty of Union between England and Scotland was signed in 1707, Scotland has always been a key part of Great Britain and later the United Kingdom. If Scotland gains independence, the UK would lose one-tenth of its population and one-third of its land area, making it a country smaller than Uruguay.

Even the name of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland would become an embarrassment, because a large part of Great Britain would be gone. The UK would be "neither great nor Britain nor united". Should then the UK change its name?

Worse than the psychological wound of Scotland's secession from the union will be the possible chain effect. Northern Ireland, another member state of the UK, has a long history of seeking independence, with Irish nationalists using violent means to get their demand. So, if Scotland gains independence through legal and peaceful means, would Northern Ireland follow the example?

The British Empire once covered one-fourth of the world. Although the empire declined after World War II, the UK remained one of the biggest global powers, kept its permanent seat in the UN Security Council and dared to stay out of the eurozone.

In many ways, the UK's comprehensive capability makes it second only to the United States. But after Scotland secedes, would the UK remain as confident, and would Germany, France, Italy and even the US continue to recognize its special position?

Answers to all these questions are clear, except that we have to wait for the referendum result.

The author is a professor of European studies at the School of International Relations, Nanjing University, Jiangsu province.

Most Viewed Today's Top News
...
主站蜘蛛池模板: 亚洲播放 | 久久人人人 | 深夜福利视频在线观看 | 色插综合 | 在线观看美女av | 亚洲天堂精品在线 | 国产成人精品在线视频 | 日韩欧美区 | 欧美三级视频在线播放 | av毛片网站 | 中文字幕亚洲欧美日韩 | 亚洲一区中文字幕 | 国产视频1区| 手机av免费 | 欧美日韩一级视频 | 欧美看片 | 国产福利视频在线观看 | 久草福利在线观看 | 午夜精品视频在线 | 国产露脸无套对白在线播放 | 国产福利免费 | 黑人巨大精品欧美一区二区免费 | 97视频网站 | 粉嫩aⅴ一区二区三区 | av片在线看 | 性亚洲| 在线毛片网 | 亚洲女人18毛片水真多 | 伊人网在线观看 | 亚洲国产成人精品综合99 | 国产113页 | 九九黄色 | 色撸撸av | 91成人在线免费视频 | 国产婷婷一区二区 | 色综合久久久久久 | 国产一区二区免费视频 | 天天干视频在线观看 | 欧美日韩视频网站 | 日本久久99| 日韩中文字幕不卡 |