Taiwan Province (simplified Chinese: 台湾省; traditional Chinese: 臺灣省 or 台灣省; pinyin: Táiwān shěng) is an area of the Republic of China (ROC) claimed as a province by the People's Republic of China (PRC). The area includes the island of Taiwan and its surrounding islets, including the Penghu islands.
The political status of Taiwan is complex and the area has in fact never been controlled by the PRC. Taiwan has been controlled by the Republic of China (ROC, commonly called "Taiwan") since 1945. The PRC claims that it succeeded the ROC as the sole legitimate authority in all of China upon its founding in 1949, and that therefore Taiwan is part of the PRC.
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Divisions
The claimed official borders and divisions of the Taiwan Province of People's Republic of China mirror those of the ROC Taiwan Province before 1949. The PRC has not acknowledged any changes made post-1949 by the ROC. Thus, the elevation of Taipei and Kaohsiung to direct-controlled cities has not been recognized by the PRC, and both cities appear as part of Taiwan Province in publications issued by the PRC. Also, the PRC still regards Taipei as the capital city of Taiwan Province, instead of Zhongxing Village which is the capital of the ROC Taiwan Province. This is analogous to the previous practice of the ROC in producing maps depicting mainland administrative boundaries the way they were in 1949.
Both the PRC and the ROC claim the Diaoyutai (Senkaku) Islands, administered by Japan, as a part of their own respective Taiwan Provinces.
Taiwan Province is divided into 16 counties and 7 cities:
Map | # | Name | Hanzi | Hanyu Pinyin | Type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Taibei (City) | 台北市 | Táiběi Shì | Prefecture-level city | |
2 | Gaoxiong (City) | 高雄市 | Gāoxióng Shì | Prefecture-level city | |
3 | Taizhong (City) | 台中市 | Táizhōng Shì | County-level city | |
4 | Tainan (City) | 台南市 | Táinán Shì | County-level city | |
5 | Jilong | 基隆市 | Jīlóng Shì | County-level city | |
6 | Xinzhu (City) | 新竹市 | Xīnzhú Shì | County-level city | |
7 | Jiayi (City) | 嘉义市 | Jiāyì Shì | County-level city | |
8 | Taibei (County) | 台北县 | Táiběi Xiàn | County | |
9 | Gaoxiong (County) | 高雄县 | Gāoxióng Xiàn | County | |
10 | Taizhong (County) | 台中县 | Táizhōng Xiàn | County | |
11 | Tainan (County) | 台南县 | Táinán Xiàn | County | |
12 | Xinzhu (County) | 新竹县 | Xīnzhú Xiàn | County | |
13 | Jiayi (County) | 嘉义县 | Jiāyì Xiàn | County | |
14 | Taoyuan | 桃园县 | Táoyuán Xiàn | County | |
15 | Miaoli | 苗栗县 | Miáolì Xiàn | County | |
16 | Zhanghua | 彰化县 | Zhānghuà Xiàn | County | |
17 | Yunlin | 云林县 | Yúnlín Xiàn | County | |
18 | Pingdong | 屏东县 | Píngdōng Xiàn | County | |
19 | Yilan | 宜兰县 | Yílán Xiàn | County | |
20 | Nantou | 南投县 | Nántóu Xiàn | County | |
21 | Hualian | 花莲县 | Hūalián Xiàn | County | |
22 | Taidong | 台東县 | Táidōng Xiàn | County | |
23 | Penghu | 澎湖县 | Pénghú Xiàn | County |
Note 1: The Diaoyutai (Senkaku) Islands, which are currently disputed between the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China and Japan, are currently administered by Japan. Both the PRC and the ROC claim the islands as part of Toucheng Township of Yilan County. Note 2: The PRC most commonly uses the Pinyin romanization system, while the ROC used to use Wade–Giles, thus both governments write city names differently. For instance, the capital of Taiwan is written "Taibei" by China, but "Taipei" by Taiwan.
Representation
Thirteen delegates are elected to the National People's Congress to represent Taiwan Province. These delegates have Hokkien and Holo ancestry whose ancestors were in Taiwan at some point, and are elected by a constituency comprising people with Taiwanese ancestry, not by present residents of Taiwan. As the older members retire or die, newer members tend to be born in mainland China.[citation needed]
See also
- Taiwan
- Taiwan Province
- Taiwan Affairs Office
- Political status of Taiwan
- Legal status of Taiwan
- Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China#Offer to Taiwan
Further reading
- Bush, R. & O'Hanlon, M. (2007). A War Like No Other: The Truth About China's Challenge to America. Wiley. ISBN 0471986771
- Bush, R. (2006). Untying the Knot: Making Peace in the Taiwan Strait. Brookings Institution Press. ISBN 0815712901
- Carpenter, T. (2006). America's Coming War with China: A Collision Course over Taiwan. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 1403968411
- Cole, B. (2006). Taiwan's Security: History and Prospects. Routledge. ISBN 0415365813
- Copper, J. (2006). Playing with Fire: The Looming War with China over Taiwan. Praeger Security International General Interest. ISBN 0275988880
- Federation of American Scientists et al. (2006). Chinese Nuclear Forces and U.S. Nuclear War Planning
- Gill, B. (2007). Rising Star: China's New Security Diplomacy. Brookings Institution Press. ISBN 0815731469
- Shirk, S. (2007). China: Fragile Superpower: How China's Internal Politics Could Derail Its Peaceful Rise. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195306090
- Tsang, S. (2006). If China Attacks Taiwan: Military Strategy, Politics and Economics. Routledge. ISBN 0415407850
- Tucker, N.B. (2005). Dangerous Strait: the U.S.-Taiwan-China Crisis. Columbia University Press. ISBN 0231135645
External links
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