Taiwan History In A Nutshell
A Tale Of Two China’s
Taiwan, also known as Formosa, is geographically an island off Mainland China, inhabited by Chinese that speak a slightly different dialect of Chinese. Politically and economically it was not very significant until the end of the civil war between Chinese Communists headed by Mao Tse Tung and Chinese Nationalists under the command of General Chiang Kai Shek. The civil war ended in 1949 with the defeat of the Nationalist forces, which led General Chiang Kai Shek to move his army and followers to Taiwan where he established the Republic of China. Recognized by most world governments, the Republic of China on Taiwan officially represented China since Mao’s Communist China was shunned politically and economically. The Nationalist government on Taiwan created an economic miracle on the island, positioning Taiwan as a major supplier of manufactured goods to the West. Things changed with the deaths of the nationalist and communist leaders and U.S. President Nixon’s visit to China in 1972. Nixon believed that the time had come to recognize Communist China and bring the country closer to the capitalist world. Communist China, known as the People’s Republic of China, made it a condition of recognition and cooperation that only the PRC could be recognized as the Official Republic of China. On January 1, 1979 United States recognized Communist China as the only representative of China and downgraded its relationship with the Republic of China on Taiwan. However, the U.S. has kept strong relations with Taiwan since and is committed to Taiwan’s defense.
Chiang Kai-Shek’s nationalist Kuomintang Party ruled Taiwan until the 1990’s but started transition to democracy and free elections in or about 1992. Today Taiwan is a parliamentary democracy with a presidential system. Professsor Tsai Ing-wen has been Taiwan’s president since 2016.
