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Colonized by the Dutch and Ruled by Japan: The History of the Taiwan-China Divide

2022-08-05 19:04:49Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA MEGAN DUZOR
Colonized by the Dutch and Ruled by Japan: The History of the Taiwan-China
Taipei, the capital of Taiwan

Taiwan has a democratically elected government, a strong economy and its own military.

However, while it has all the attributes of a state, there is disagreement about Taiwan's true status.

China views Taiwan as a breakaway province and has vowed to one day reclaim it, while Taiwan's leaders say it is sovereign, regardless of whether they formally declare independence.

Due to disputes, only 15 countries, mostly smaller ones, recognize Taiwan.

How did Taiwan get to this point?

During the 17th century, Taiwan was briefly colonized by the Dutch, but for the next two centuries it was part of the Chinese empire.

In 1895, Japan took over the island, ruling there for 50 years. Japan relinquished control of Taiwan to China after its defeat in World War II.

In 1949, China's civil war between the Communists and the Nationalist government ended.

Then-leader Chiang Kai-shek lost to Mao Zedong's communist army and relocated the Nationalist government, its troops and supporters to Taiwan.

The island has been ruled independently by China ever since.

During Chiang's rule of Taiwan, he claimed that his government's authority extended to all of China, which he wanted to regain control of.

This is also where Taiwan's official name originates: the Republic of China, or ROC.

Colonized by the Dutch and Ruled by Japan: The History of the Taiwan-China

Many Western countries, as well as the United Nations, recognized Chiang's government as the legitimate authority of China until the 1970s, when they transferred their recognition to the Communist Party-ruled People's Republic of China.

Chiang's government ruled Taiwan under controversial martial law.

After Chiang's death, his son, Chiang Ching-kuo, took steps to democratize the government.

Democratic policies continued to strengthen under President Lee Teng-hui, who paved the way for direct elections.

The first free legislative elections took place in 1992 and the first presidential elections in 1996.

Eventually, the island elected its first president who was not from Chiang's dominant nationalist party, also known as the Kuomintang.

Chen Shui-bian of the Democratic Progressive Party took power in 2000, alarming China with his statements in support of independence.

After taking office, Chen said he would not declare independence as long as China did not attack.

China passed a law in 2005 that allowed it to use force against Taiwan if it declared independence.

Beijing has proposed the "one country, two systems" formula for Taiwan, the same policy it has used in Hong Kong.

Taiwan's leaders have rejected it, and the proposal has become more unpopular since China's crackdown on Hong Kong's freedoms.

Most Taiwanese support the status quo, with another three-quarters supporting the status quo but also increasingly wanting independence, and only a small number favoring immediate independence or reunification with China.

The United States plays a major role in Taiwan politics.

Formal diplomatic relations ended in 1979 when the US recognized the People's Republic of China. However, the US has continued to provide Taiwan with defensive weapons.

How far Washington would go to defend Taiwan against China is not clear.

Despite decades of tensions between China and Taiwan, both sides have taken steps to improve ties.

In 1987, Taiwan began allowing residents to travel to China. In 1993, they held their first direct talks.

In 2010, Beijing and Taipei signed a free trade agreement.

Some Taiwanese worry that economic ties will increase China's influence over the island, while others believe it will promote peace.

Tensions eased somewhat when Taiwan's Kuomintang Party regained power in the late 2000s.

But the 2016 election of pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party candidate Tsai Ing-wen, with a record 8.2 million votes, was seen as a rebuke to China.

Since her re-election, China has taken increasingly aggressive actions against Taiwan, including fighter jets regularly flying near the island.

For decades, residents in Taiwan have seen themselves as Taiwanese rather than Chinese. Nearly 30 years ago, less than a quarter identified themselves as Taiwanese, while today, nearly two-thirds identify themselves as Taiwanese.

In 2021, 63.3% saw themselves as Taiwanese, 31.4% saw themselves as Taiwanese and Chinese, and 2.7% saw themselves as Chinese only./ VOA


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