SchmuckyTheCat (talk | contribs) Reverted good faith edits by 114.161.56.192 (talk): Yeah, that's not NPOV. (TW) Tag: Undo |
211.195.12.61 (talk) PRC and ROC (Taiwan) are two separate countries, stop putting communist pov here with the Chicom nonsense of "political entities"...both countries have their own presidents, separate militaries, different monetary currency, they are separate countries and until the day that a hypothetical unification occurs in the far off distant future, this article will reflect the reality that there are two countries in existence, and Chicom POV propaganda will NOT be tolerated here on Wikipedia |
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{{Politics of the Republic of China}} |
{{Politics of the Republic of China}} |
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The term '''Two Chinas''' refers to the current geopolitical situation in which two |
The term '''Two Chinas''' refers to the current geopolitical situation in which two independent sovereign countries each use the name "China" in their official national titles:<ref>http://www.heritage.org/research/asiaandthepacific/bg19.cfm<!-- not a perfect ref, but it does show use of "two chinas" and makes clear what they are.--></ref> |
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* {{flagicon|PRC}} [[China|People's Republic of China (PRC)]], commonly known as "'''China'''", [[History of the People's Republic of China|established in 1949]], controlling [[mainland China]] and two [[Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China|special administrative regions]], [[Hong Kong]] and [[Macau]]. |
* {{flagicon|PRC}} [[China|People's Republic of China (PRC)]], commonly known as "'''[[China]]'''", [[History of the People's Republic of China|established in 1949]], controlling [[mainland China]] and two [[Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China|special administrative regions]], [[Hong Kong]] and [[Macau]]. |
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* {{flagicon|ROC}} [[Taiwan|Republic of China ( |
* {{flagicon|ROC}} [[Taiwan|Republic of China (Taiwan)]], now commonly known as "'''[[Taiwan]]'''" but was originally known as "'''China'''" prior to 1971 when it controlled [[mainland China]] from it's [[History of the Republic of China|official declaration of independence as a sovereign country during the Xinhai Revolution in 1912]] to [[Chinese civil war#CPC establish People.27s Republic of China .2F KMT retreat to Taiwan|1949]]. Since the end of 1949 when it lost control of mainland China in the [[Chinese Civil War]], the ROC controls only [[Geography of Taiwan|Taiwan]] and [[Free area of the Republic of China|some nearby island groups]]. The ROC discontinued using the name "'''China'''" when it'S usage was hijacked by the [[Communist Party of China|communist]] [[China|People's Republic of China (PRC)]] which pressured and forced other countries to accept and pass the [[UN Resolution 2758]] in 1971 which expelled the [[Taiwan|Republic of China (Taiwan)]] from the [[United Nations]]. In response, the [[Taiwan|Republic of China (Taiwan)]] has stopped referring to themselves as "China" and has now reasserted themselves as the country of [[Taiwan]] using only the national names of either "[[Taiwan]]" or [[Taiwan|Republic of China (Taiwan)]]" in formal Taiwanese government documents and websites. |
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==Background== |
==Background== |
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{{see also|History of the Republic of China}} |
{{see also|History of the Republic of China}} |
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In 1912, the [[Xuantong Emperor]] abdicated as a result of the [[Xinhai Revolution]], and the [[Republic of China ( |
In 1912, the [[Xuantong Emperor]] abdicated as a result of the [[Xinhai Revolution]], and the [[Taiwan|Republic of China (Taiwan)]] officially declared their independence as a sovereign country and was established in their original [[Capital city|capital city]] of [[Nanjing]] (i.e. the capital was later changed to Taipei) by revolutionaries under [[Sun Yat-sen]]. At the same time, the [[Beiyang Government]], led by [[Yuan Shikai]], a former Qing Dynasty General, existed in [[Beijing]], whose legitimacy was challenged by the Nanjing government under the [[Kuomintang]], or the Chinese Nationalist Party. |
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From 1912 to 1949, China was scarred by [[Warlord era|Warlords]], the [[Second Sino-Japanese War|Japanese invasion]] and the [[Chinese Civil War]]. Throughout this turbulent period, various short-lived governments have existed in China. These include Yuan Shikai's Beiyang Government (1912–1928), the [[Chinese Soviet Republic]] established by the [[Communist Party of China]] (1931–1937),<ref>Lyman P. Van Slyke, ''The Chinese Communist movement: a report of the United States War Department, July 1945'', Stanford University Press, 1968, p. 44</ref> the [[Fujian People's Government]] (1933–1934), the puppet state of [[Manchukuo]] (1932–1945), and [[Wang Jingwei]]'s [[Reorganized National Government of China|Japanese sponsored puppet state]] (1940–1945). |
From 1912 to 1949, China was scarred by [[Warlord era|Warlords]], the [[Second Sino-Japanese War|Japanese invasion]] and the [[Chinese Civil War]]. Throughout this turbulent period, various short-lived governments have existed in China. These include Yuan Shikai's Beiyang Government (1912–1928), the [[Chinese Soviet Republic]] established by the [[Communist Party of China]] (1931–1937),<ref>Lyman P. Van Slyke, ''The Chinese Communist movement: a report of the United States War Department, July 1945'', Stanford University Press, 1968, p. 44</ref> the [[Fujian People's Government]] (1933–1934), the puppet state of [[Manchukuo]] (1932–1945), and [[Wang Jingwei]]'s [[Reorganized National Government of China|Japanese sponsored puppet state]] (1940–1945). |
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As the Chinese Civil War ended in 1949, the |
As the Chinese Civil War ended in 1949, the [[Communist Party of China|communist]] [[China|People's Republic of China (PRC)]], led by [[Mao Zedong|Chairman Mao Zedong]], took control of [[Mainland China]]. The [[Taiwan|Republic of China (Taiwan)]], led by [[Chiang Kai-shek|President Chiang Kai-Shek]], retreated the [[government of the Republic of China|government of the Republic of China (Taiwan)]] to [[Taiwan]]. |
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Though fighting continued for the next several years, by the time of the [[Korean War]] the lines of control were sharply drawn: the Communist-led People's Republic of China government in Beijing controlled most of mainland China, while the Kuomintang-led [[Republic of China]] government, now in [[Taipei]], controlled the island of Taiwan, some surrounding islands, and a number of islands off the coast of [[Fujian]]. This stalemate was enforced with the assistance of the [[United States]] government which began deterring an invasion of Taiwan after the start of the Korean War. |
Though fighting continued between the two countries for the next several years, by the time of the [[Korean War]] the lines of control were sharply drawn: the Communist-led People's Republic of China government in Beijing controlled most of mainland China, while the Kuomintang-led [[Republic of China]] government, now in [[Taipei]], controlled the island of Taiwan, some surrounding islands, and a number of islands off the coast of [[Fujian]]. This stalemate was enforced with the assistance of the [[United States]] government which began deterring an invasion of Taiwan after the start of the Korean War. |
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For many years, both governments contended to be the sole legitimate government of China. With the fighting largely over, the major battleground became diplomatic. Before the 1970s, the Republic of China was still recognized by many countries and the United Nations as the sole legitimate government of "China", which claimed sovereignty over both mainland China and Taiwan. The Republic of China had been a founding member of the [[United Nations]] and was one of the five permanent members of the Security Council until 1971, when they were expelled from the UN and China's representation was replaced by the People's Republic of China (PRC) via [[UN General Assembly Resolution 2758]]. Before the 1970s, few foreign governments recognised the People's Republic of China. The first governments to recognise it as the government of People's Republic of China were [[Soviet bloc]] countries, members of the [[non-aligned movement]], and the [[United Kingdom]] (1950). The catalyst to change came in 1971, when the [[United Nations General Assembly]] [[China and the United Nations|expelled]] representatives of Chiang Kai-shek by refusing to recognise their accreditations as representatives of China. Recognition for the People's Republic of China soon followed from most other governments, including the United States. The Republic of China continued to compete with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to be recognised as the legitimate government of China. |
For many years, both governments contended to be the sole legitimate government of China. With the fighting largely over, the major battleground became diplomatic. Before the 1970s, the Republic of China was still recognized by many countries and the United Nations as the sole legitimate government of "China", which claimed sovereignty over both mainland China and Taiwan. The Republic of China had been a founding member of the [[United Nations]] and was one of the five permanent members of the Security Council until 1971, when they were expelled from the UN and China's representation was replaced by the People's Republic of China (PRC) via [[UN General Assembly Resolution 2758]]. Before the 1970s, few foreign governments recognised the People's Republic of China. The first governments to recognise it as the government of People's Republic of China were [[Soviet bloc]] countries, members of the [[non-aligned movement]], and the [[United Kingdom]] (1950). The catalyst to change came in 1971, when the [[United Nations General Assembly]] [[China and the United Nations|expelled]] representatives of Chiang Kai-shek by refusing to recognise their accreditations as representatives of China. Recognition for the People's Republic of China soon followed from most other governments, including the United States. The Republic of China continued to compete with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to be recognised as the legitimate government of China. |
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Since the 1990s, however, a rising movement for formal recognition of Taiwanese independence has made the political status of Taiwan the dominant issue, replacing the debate about the legitimate government of China. A view in Taiwan is that the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China are both [[sovereignty|sovereign]], thus forming "two Chinas", or "one China, one Taiwan". Former Republic of China President Chen Shui-bian adamantly supported this status quo, and accordingly largely abandoned the campaign for the Republic of China to be recognised as the sole legitimate government of China. Under President Chen, the ROC government was campaigning for the Republic of China to join the United Nations as representative of |
Since the 1990s, however, a rising movement for formal recognition of a new [[Republic of Taiwan]] promoted by Taiwanese independence advocates has made the political status of Taiwan the dominant issue, replacing the debate about the legitimate government of China. A view in Taiwan is that the [[Taiwan|Republic of China (Taiwan)]] and the [[China|People's Republic of China (PRC)]] are both [[sovereignty|sovereign]] [[country|countries]], thus forming "two Chinas", or "one China, one Taiwan". Former [[President of the Republic of China|Republic of China (Taiwan) President]] [[Chen Shui-bian]] adamantly supported this status quo, and accordingly largely abandoned the campaign for the [[Taiwan|Republic of China (Taiwan)]] to be recognised as the sole legitimate government of all [[mainland China]]. Under President Chen, the [[Taiwan|ROC (Taiwan)]] government was campaigning for the [[Taiwan|Republic of China (Taiwan)]] to join the United Nations as representative of it's currently controlled effective territory—Taiwan and nearby islands—only. The next Taiwanese President [[Ma Ying-jeou]] ceased that push as he was in favor of eventual unification with the [[Communist Party of China|communist]] [[China|People's Republic of China (PRC)]]. The current [[President of the Republic of China|Republic of China (Taiwan) President]] [[Tsai Ing-Wen]] has fiercely rejected any unification attempts with the [[Communist Party of China|communist]] [[China|People's Republic of China (PRC)]] and as continuously reasserted [[Taiwan]]'s international status as a technological and economic superpower and a [[sovereign]] [[independent]] [[democratic]] [[industrialized]] [[developed country]].{{citation needed|date=August 2016}} |
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==Current situation== |
==Current situation== |
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The People's Republic of China (which administers [[mainland China]]) and Republic of China (which administers Taiwan) do not officially recognize each other's sovereignty. The official position of the governments of both the People's Republic of China and Republic of China remain that there is only one sovereign entity of China, and that each of them represents the legitimate government of all of China—including both mainland China and Taiwan—and the other is illegitimate. |
The People's Republic of China (which administers [[mainland China]]) and Republic of China (which administers Taiwan) do not officially recognize each other's sovereignty. The official position of the governments of both the People's Republic of China and Republic of China remain that there is only one sovereign entity of China, and that each of them represents the legitimate government of all of China—including both mainland China and Taiwan—and the other is illegitimate. |
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===People's Republic of China=== |
==={{flagicon|PRC}} [[China|People's Republic of China (PRC)]]=== |
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The government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) opposes treating the Republic of China ( |
The government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) opposes treating the Republic of China (Taiwan) as a legitimate state and attempts portray Taiwan in international and domestic media as a so-called "rogue province" of the PRC.<ref>[http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2018/03/20/xi-jinping-challenges-trump-taiwan-china-will-give-up-not-single-inch-land/ Xi Jinping Challenges Trump, Taiwan: China Will Give Up ‘Not a Single Inch’ of Land]</ref><ref>{{Cite web| url = http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/constitution/constitution.html | title = CONSTITUTION OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA | date = 1982-12-04 | publisher = The People's Daily}}</ref> The People's Republic of China government has consistently opposed "two Chinas", instead espousing that all of "China" is under one single, indivisible sovereignty under its "[[One-China policy|One China Principle]]", explicitly including Taiwan. Under this principle, while the PRC has no ''de facto'' control over territory administered by the ROC, the PRC nevertheless claims that the territories controlled by both the PRC and ROC are part of the same, indivisible sovereign entity "China".<ref>{{Cite web| url = http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/constitution/constitution.html | title = CONSTITUTION OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA | date = 1982-12-04 | publisher = The People's Daily — Read 3rd paragraph, 10th line-}}</ref><ref name="Anti-Secession Law">{{Cite web| url = http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200503/14/eng20050314_176746.html | title = Anti-Secession Law | date = 2005-03-14 | publisher = The People's Daily}}</ref> Furthermore, under the [[succession of states]] theory, the PRC claims that it has succeeded the ROC as the government of "China", and thus the current ROC regime based in Taiwan is illegitimate and has been superseded.{{citation needed|date=May 2016}} |
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PRC government policy mandates that any country that wishes to establish diplomatic relationship with the PRC must first discontinue any formal relationship with the ROC. According to ''[[The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs]]'', "non-recognition of the Taiwanese government is a prerequisite for conducting formal diplomatic relations with the PRC{{mdash}}in effect forcing other governments to choose between Beijing and Taipei."<ref>{{Cite journal | journal = [[The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs]] | title = China, Taiwan, and the Battle for Latin America | first1 = Daniel P. | last1 = Erikson | first2 = Janice | last2 = Chen | year = 2007 | issue = 31, number 2 | page = 71}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url = http://www.china.org.cn/english/taiwan/7956.htm | title = The One-China Principle and the Taiwan Issue | publisher = [[China Internet Information Center]] |accessdate=2014-04-09}}</ref> In order to compete for other countries' recognition, each government has given money to a certain few small countries. Both the PRC and ROC governments have accused each other of monetary diplomacy. Several small African and Caribbean countries have established and discontinued diplomatic relationships with both sides several times in exchange for huge financial support from each side.<ref>{{Cite web | title = China and Taiwan in Africa | publisher = HiiDunia |url=http://www.hiidunia.com/2010/04/china-and-taiwan-in-africa/ |deadurl=no |accessdate=2014-04-09}}</ref> The PRC also uses its international influence to prohibit the ROC from entering international events such as the [[Olympic Games]] under its official name. Instead, the ROC was forced to adopt the name [[Chinese Taipei]] to enter such events since the 1980s.<ref name="Lin">{{cite news |title = How 'Chinese Taipei' came about |author = Catherine K. Lin |url = http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2008/08/05/2003419446 |newspaper = Taipei Times |date = 2008-08-05}}</ref> Furthermore, on press releases and other media, the PRC never refers to the ROC as such, instead referring to the territory of Taiwan as "China's Taiwan Province", and to the ROC government as "the Taiwan authority".{{citation needed|date=May 2016}} |
PRC government policy mandates that any country that wishes to establish diplomatic relationship with the PRC must first discontinue any formal relationship with the ROC. According to ''[[The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs]]'', "non-recognition of the Taiwanese government is a prerequisite for conducting formal diplomatic relations with the PRC{{mdash}}in effect forcing other governments to choose between Beijing and Taipei."<ref>{{Cite journal | journal = [[The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs]] | title = China, Taiwan, and the Battle for Latin America | first1 = Daniel P. | last1 = Erikson | first2 = Janice | last2 = Chen | year = 2007 | issue = 31, number 2 | page = 71}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url = http://www.china.org.cn/english/taiwan/7956.htm | title = The One-China Principle and the Taiwan Issue | publisher = [[China Internet Information Center]] |accessdate=2014-04-09}}</ref> In order to compete for other countries' recognition, each government has given money to a certain few small countries. Both the PRC and ROC governments have accused each other of monetary diplomacy. Several small African and Caribbean countries have established and discontinued diplomatic relationships with both sides several times in exchange for huge financial support from each side.<ref>{{Cite web | title = China and Taiwan in Africa | publisher = HiiDunia |url=http://www.hiidunia.com/2010/04/china-and-taiwan-in-africa/ |deadurl=no |accessdate=2014-04-09}}</ref> The PRC also uses its international influence to prohibit the ROC from entering international events such as the [[Olympic Games]] under its official name. Instead, the ROC was forced to adopt the name [[Chinese Taipei]] to enter such events since the 1980s.<ref name="Lin">{{cite news |title = How 'Chinese Taipei' came about |author = Catherine K. Lin |url = http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2008/08/05/2003419446 |newspaper = Taipei Times |date = 2008-08-05}}</ref> Furthermore, on press releases and other media, the PRC never refers to the ROC as such, instead referring to the territory of Taiwan as "China's Taiwan Province", and to the ROC government as "the Taiwan authority".{{citation needed|date=May 2016}} |
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===Republic of China=== |
==={{flagicon|Taiwan}} [[Taiwan|Republic of China (Taiwan)]]=== |
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The [[Taiwan|Republic of China (Taiwan)]] officially declared their independence as a sovereign country in the year 1912 during the [[Xinhai Revolution]] which overthrew the previous [[Qing dynasty]]. But until the constitutional reforms of 1991 the Republic of China (Taiwan) still officially claimed sovereignty over the territories of [[mainland China]] which are currently controlled by the [[Communist Party of China|communist]] [[China|People's Republic of China (PRC)]]. [[Taiwan|ROC (Taiwan)]] authorities clarified the constitutional reforms by stating they do not "dispute the fact that the People's Republic of China (PRC) controls mainland China."<ref>{{cite web|title=TAIWAN (REPUBLIC OF CHINA): Constitution, Government & Legislation|url=http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/world/taiwan.htm|publisher=Jurist Legal intelligence, Pitt University|accessdate=30 July 2011}}</ref> |
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The emergence of [[free speech]] and [[democracy]] in Taiwan and the resulting ability of the [[Taiwan independence movement]] to gain ground has further |
The emergence of [[industrialization]], [[free speech]] and [[democracy]] in the [[developed country]] of [[Taiwan]] and the resulting ability of the [[Taiwan independence movement]] to gain ground has further cemented [[Taiwan|Taiwanese national identity]]. While the PRC finds the "Two Chinas" unpalatable, it considers a non-Chinese, [[Singapore]] styled, Taiwan independence created [[Republic of Taiwan]] an even worse alternative. Handling of the issue has varied by administration now that the democratic Republic of China has experienced several changes of leadership of the [[Executive Yuan]]. |
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In 1999, then [[President of the Republic of China|President]] [[Lee Teng-hui]] defined the relationship as "[[Special state-to-state relations]]". |
In 1999, then [[President of the Republic of China|President]] [[Lee Teng-hui]] defined the relationship between the [[Taiwan|Republic of China (Taiwan)]] and the [[China|People's Republic of China (PRC)]] as "[[Special state-to-state relations]]". |
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President [[Chen Shui-bian]] (2000–2008) declared in 2002 that "[[One Country on Each Side|with Taiwan and China on each side of the Taiwan Strait, each side is a country]]". In 2003 he explained that "Taiwan is not a province of one country nor is it a state of another".<ref>{{cite web |title=Extracted text of the telecast relating to cross-strait relations|publisher=Mainland Affairs Council of Republic of China|date=2002-08-03|url=http://www.mac.gov.tw/big5/mlpolicy/refer92/1_22.htm|language=Chinese|quote=台灣不是別人的一部分;不是別人的地方政府、別人的一省}} |
President [[Chen Shui-bian]] (2000–2008) declared in 2002 that "[[One Country on Each Side|with Taiwan and China on each side of the Taiwan Strait, each side is a country]]". In 2003 he explained that "Taiwan is not a province of one country nor is it a state of another".<ref>{{cite web |title=Extracted text of the telecast relating to cross-strait relations|publisher=Mainland Affairs Council of Republic of China|date=2002-08-03|url=http://www.mac.gov.tw/big5/mlpolicy/refer92/1_22.htm|language=Chinese|quote=台灣不是別人的一部分;不是別人的地方政府、別人的一省}} |
Revision as of 03:13, 10 July 2018
Two Chinas | |||||||||||||
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Traditional Chinese | 兩個中國 | ||||||||||||
Simplified Chinese | 两个中国 | ||||||||||||
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Taiwan portal |
The term Two Chinas refers to the current geopolitical situation in which two independent sovereign countries each use the name "China" in their official national titles:[1]
- People's Republic of China (PRC), commonly known as "China", established in 1949, controlling mainland China and two special administrative regions, Hong Kong and Macau.
- Republic of China (Taiwan), now commonly known as "Taiwan" but was originally known as "China" prior to 1971 when it controlled mainland China from it's official declaration of independence as a sovereign country during the Xinhai Revolution in 1912 to 1949. Since the end of 1949 when it lost control of mainland China in the Chinese Civil War, the ROC controls only Taiwan and some nearby island groups. The ROC discontinued using the name "China" when it'S usage was hijacked by the communist People's Republic of China (PRC) which pressured and forced other countries to accept and pass the UN Resolution 2758 in 1971 which expelled the Republic of China (Taiwan) from the United Nations. In response, the Republic of China (Taiwan) has stopped referring to themselves as "China" and has now reasserted themselves as the country of Taiwan using only the national names of either "Taiwan" or Republic of China (Taiwan)" in formal Taiwanese government documents and websites.
Background
In 1912, the Xuantong Emperor abdicated as a result of the Xinhai Revolution, and the Republic of China (Taiwan) officially declared their independence as a sovereign country and was established in their original capital city of Nanjing (i.e. the capital was later changed to Taipei) by revolutionaries under Sun Yat-sen. At the same time, the Beiyang Government, led by Yuan Shikai, a former Qing Dynasty General, existed in Beijing, whose legitimacy was challenged by the Nanjing government under the Kuomintang, or the Chinese Nationalist Party.
From 1912 to 1949, China was scarred by Warlords, the Japanese invasion and the Chinese Civil War. Throughout this turbulent period, various short-lived governments have existed in China. These include Yuan Shikai's Beiyang Government (1912–1928), the Chinese Soviet Republic established by the Communist Party of China (1931–1937),[2] the Fujian People's Government (1933–1934), the puppet state of Manchukuo (1932–1945), and Wang Jingwei's Japanese sponsored puppet state (1940–1945).
As the Chinese Civil War ended in 1949, the communist People's Republic of China (PRC), led by Chairman Mao Zedong, took control of Mainland China. The Republic of China (Taiwan), led by President Chiang Kai-Shek, retreated the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to Taiwan.
Though fighting continued between the two countries for the next several years, by the time of the Korean War the lines of control were sharply drawn: the Communist-led People's Republic of China government in Beijing controlled most of mainland China, while the Kuomintang-led Republic of China government, now in Taipei, controlled the island of Taiwan, some surrounding islands, and a number of islands off the coast of Fujian. This stalemate was enforced with the assistance of the United States government which began deterring an invasion of Taiwan after the start of the Korean War.
For many years, both governments contended to be the sole legitimate government of China. With the fighting largely over, the major battleground became diplomatic. Before the 1970s, the Republic of China was still recognized by many countries and the United Nations as the sole legitimate government of "China", which claimed sovereignty over both mainland China and Taiwan. The Republic of China had been a founding member of the United Nations and was one of the five permanent members of the Security Council until 1971, when they were expelled from the UN and China's representation was replaced by the People's Republic of China (PRC) via UN General Assembly Resolution 2758. Before the 1970s, few foreign governments recognised the People's Republic of China. The first governments to recognise it as the government of People's Republic of China were Soviet bloc countries, members of the non-aligned movement, and the United Kingdom (1950). The catalyst to change came in 1971, when the United Nations General Assembly expelled representatives of Chiang Kai-shek by refusing to recognise their accreditations as representatives of China. Recognition for the People's Republic of China soon followed from most other governments, including the United States. The Republic of China continued to compete with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to be recognised as the legitimate government of China.
Since the 1990s, however, a rising movement for formal recognition of a new Republic of Taiwan promoted by Taiwanese independence advocates has made the political status of Taiwan the dominant issue, replacing the debate about the legitimate government of China. A view in Taiwan is that the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the People's Republic of China (PRC) are both sovereign countries, thus forming "two Chinas", or "one China, one Taiwan". Former Republic of China (Taiwan) President Chen Shui-bian adamantly supported this status quo, and accordingly largely abandoned the campaign for the Republic of China (Taiwan) to be recognised as the sole legitimate government of all mainland China. Under President Chen, the ROC (Taiwan) government was campaigning for the Republic of China (Taiwan) to join the United Nations as representative of it's currently controlled effective territory—Taiwan and nearby islands—only. The next Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou ceased that push as he was in favor of eventual unification with the communist People's Republic of China (PRC). The current Republic of China (Taiwan) President Tsai Ing-Wen has fiercely rejected any unification attempts with the communist People's Republic of China (PRC) and as continuously reasserted Taiwan's international status as a technological and economic superpower and a sovereign independent democratic industrialized developed country.[citation needed]
Current situation
The People's Republic of China (which administers mainland China) and Republic of China (which administers Taiwan) do not officially recognize each other's sovereignty. The official position of the governments of both the People's Republic of China and Republic of China remain that there is only one sovereign entity of China, and that each of them represents the legitimate government of all of China—including both mainland China and Taiwan—and the other is illegitimate.
People's Republic of China (PRC)
The government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) opposes treating the Republic of China (Taiwan) as a legitimate state and attempts portray Taiwan in international and domestic media as a so-called "rogue province" of the PRC.[3][4] The People's Republic of China government has consistently opposed "two Chinas", instead espousing that all of "China" is under one single, indivisible sovereignty under its "One China Principle", explicitly including Taiwan. Under this principle, while the PRC has no de facto control over territory administered by the ROC, the PRC nevertheless claims that the territories controlled by both the PRC and ROC are part of the same, indivisible sovereign entity "China".[5][6] Furthermore, under the succession of states theory, the PRC claims that it has succeeded the ROC as the government of "China", and thus the current ROC regime based in Taiwan is illegitimate and has been superseded.[citation needed]
PRC government policy mandates that any country that wishes to establish diplomatic relationship with the PRC must first discontinue any formal relationship with the ROC. According to The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs, "non-recognition of the Taiwanese government is a prerequisite for conducting formal diplomatic relations with the PRC—in effect forcing other governments to choose between Beijing and Taipei."[7][8] In order to compete for other countries' recognition, each government has given money to a certain few small countries. Both the PRC and ROC governments have accused each other of monetary diplomacy. Several small African and Caribbean countries have established and discontinued diplomatic relationships with both sides several times in exchange for huge financial support from each side.[9] The PRC also uses its international influence to prohibit the ROC from entering international events such as the Olympic Games under its official name. Instead, the ROC was forced to adopt the name Chinese Taipei to enter such events since the 1980s.[10] Furthermore, on press releases and other media, the PRC never refers to the ROC as such, instead referring to the territory of Taiwan as "China's Taiwan Province", and to the ROC government as "the Taiwan authority".[citation needed]
Republic of China (Taiwan)
The Republic of China (Taiwan) officially declared their independence as a sovereign country in the year 1912 during the Xinhai Revolution which overthrew the previous Qing dynasty. But until the constitutional reforms of 1991 the Republic of China (Taiwan) still officially claimed sovereignty over the territories of mainland China which are currently controlled by the communist People's Republic of China (PRC). ROC (Taiwan) authorities clarified the constitutional reforms by stating they do not "dispute the fact that the People's Republic of China (PRC) controls mainland China."[11]
The emergence of industrialization, free speech and democracy in the developed country of Taiwan and the resulting ability of the Taiwan independence movement to gain ground has further cemented Taiwanese national identity. While the PRC finds the "Two Chinas" unpalatable, it considers a non-Chinese, Singapore styled, Taiwan independence created Republic of Taiwan an even worse alternative. Handling of the issue has varied by administration now that the democratic Republic of China has experienced several changes of leadership of the Executive Yuan.
In 1999, then President Lee Teng-hui defined the relationship between the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the People's Republic of China (PRC) as "Special state-to-state relations".
President Chen Shui-bian (2000–2008) declared in 2002 that "with Taiwan and China on each side of the Taiwan Strait, each side is a country". In 2003 he explained that "Taiwan is not a province of one country nor is it a state of another".[12][13] The Chen administration took steps to use Taiwan internationally in the name of preventing confusion over the "two Chinas". For example, some Taiwanese have had difficulty traveling with "REPUBLIC OF CHINA" passports as officials mistook them for citizens of the People's Republic of China, so "TAIWAN" has been added to the cover of Republic of China passports.[14]
In September 2008 President Ma Ying-jeou stated that the relations are neither between two Chinas nor two states, saying instead that it is a "special relationship". Further, he stated that the sovereignty issues between the two cannot be resolved at present, but he quoted the '1992 Consensus', currently accepted by both sides, as a temporary measure until a solution becomes available.[15] The spokesman for the ROC Presidential Office Wang Yu-chi (Chinese: 王郁琦) later clarified the President's statement and said that the relations are between two regions of one country, based on the ROC Constitutional position, the Statute Governing the Relations Between the Peoples of the Taiwan Area and Mainland Area and the 1992 Consensus.[16]
Historical uses
In Chinese history, it was rare for one dynasty to end calmly and transition smoothly to a new one. Dynasties were often established before the overthrow of an existing regime, or continued for a time after they had been defeated.
As a result, there have been many periods when different regimes claimed to speak for all of China. For example, the southern Song dynasty, the Jurchen Jin dynasty, the Khitan Liao dynasty, and the Tangut Western Xia all existed contemporaneously; likewise, the Manchu Qing China co-existed with Ming China from 1636 to 1644, while remnants of the Ming (known to historians as Southern Ming) continued governance in certain areas until 1683, when Ming forces on Taiwan surrendered to the Qing.
See also
References
- ^ http://www.heritage.org/research/asiaandthepacific/bg19.cfm
- ^ Lyman P. Van Slyke, The Chinese Communist movement: a report of the United States War Department, July 1945, Stanford University Press, 1968, p. 44
- ^ Xi Jinping Challenges Trump, Taiwan: China Will Give Up ‘Not a Single Inch’ of Land
- ^ "CONSTITUTION OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA". The People's Daily. 1982-12-04.
- ^ "CONSTITUTION OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA". The People's Daily — Read 3rd paragraph, 10th line-. 1982-12-04.
- ^ "Anti-Secession Law". The People's Daily. 2005-03-14.
- ^ Erikson, Daniel P.; Chen, Janice (2007). "China, Taiwan, and the Battle for Latin America". The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs (31, number 2): 71.
- ^ "The One-China Principle and the Taiwan Issue". China Internet Information Center. Retrieved 2014-04-09.
- ^ "China and Taiwan in Africa". HiiDunia. Retrieved 2014-04-09.
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suggested) (help) - ^ Catherine K. Lin (2008-08-05). "How 'Chinese Taipei' came about". Taipei Times.
- ^ "TAIWAN (REPUBLIC OF CHINA): Constitution, Government & Legislation". Jurist Legal intelligence, Pitt University. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
- ^ "Extracted text of the telecast relating to cross-strait relations" (in Chinese). Mainland Affairs Council of Republic of China. 2002-08-03.
台灣不是別人的一部分;不是別人的地方政府、別人的一省
- ^ Wang, James (2003-10-22). "Fortune will favor a brave Taiwan". Taipei Times.
- ^ Taipei Times - archives
- ^ "Taiwan and China in 'special relations': Ma". China Post. 2008-09-04.
- ^ "Presidential Office defends Ma". Taipei Times. 2008-09-05.